Being gay or a woman isn’t reason enough to claim asylum, says Suella Braverman

Published

2 years ago

September 26, 2023

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Home Secretary Suella Braverman will question whether the foundation of modern asylum law is still relevant in a speech in the US today.

Ms Braverman will ask whether the United Nations Refugee Convention 1951 is “fit for our modern age” – and say “simply being gay, or a woman” should not by itself be enough to qualify for protection under international refugee laws.

She will be speaking to the American Enterprise Institute, a centre-right thinktank in Washington DC, to set out her plans to tackle the refugee crisis.

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Ms Braverman has run the Home Office since Priti Patel left roughly a year ago, although she briefly left after being found to have breached government security rules before later being reappointed.

Tens of thousands of people have crossed to the UK during this time, despite legislation passed by both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak and the prime minister’s pledge to “stop the boats”.

This is not the first time the home secretary has questioned international law – she has previously signalled her discontent with the European Convention on Human Rights and its interpretation and the subsequent impact on policies like the government’s Rwanda deportation scheme.

Ms Braverman will argue that tests for how refugees are defined have changed, lowering the threshold for claiming asylum.

She will say: “Let me be clear, there are vast swathes of the world where it is extremely difficult to be gay, or to be a woman. Where individuals are being persecuted, it is right that we offer sanctuary.

“But we will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection.”

Ms Braverman is set to say the current “global asylum framework” enables the “merging” of “seeking asylum” and “seeking better economic prospects”, “seeking refuge in the first country you reach” and “shopping around for your preferred destination”, and getting trafficked against your will and paying to be smuggled.

She will say: “This legal framework is rooted in the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

“The convention was created to help resettle people fleeing persecution, following the horrors of World War Two and the Holocaust, and was – initially at least – centred around Europe.

“It was an incredible achievement of its age.

“But more than 70 years on, we now live in a completely different time.

“When the Refugee Convention was signed, it conferred protection on some two million people in Europe.

“According to analysis by Nick Timothy and Karl Williams for the Centre for Policy Studies, it now confers the notional right to move to another country upon at least 780 million people.

“It is therefore incumbent upon politicians and thought leaders to ask whether the Refugee Convention, and the way it has come to be interpreted through our courts, is fit for our modern age? Or whether it is in need of reform?”

Ms Braverman will claim that case law has led to the “persecution” requirement to seek asylum being watered down to “discrimination”.

She will go on: “The status quo, where people are able to travel through multiple safe countries, and even reside in safe countries for years, while they pick their preferred destination to claim asylum, is absurd and unsustainable.

“Nobody entering the UK by boat from France is fleeing imminent peril. None of them have ‘good cause’ for illegal entry.

“The vast majority have passed through multiple safe countries, and in some instances have resided in safe countries for several years. In this sense, there is an argument that they should cease to be treated as refugees when considering the legitimacy of their onward movement.”

This is not the first time senior Conservative ministers have signalled their displeasure with international rules around migration.

Dominic Raab, who was deputy prime minister until he had to resign following bullying allegations, repeatedly voiced his displeasure with the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, said Ms Braverman “has given up on fixing the Tories’ asylum chaos at home so now she’s resorting to grandstanding abroad and looking for anyone else to blame”.

She added that “dangerous boat crossings are up, the backlog of undecided cases is at a record high, returns are down by 70% and the taxpayer is now spending an astronomical £8m a day on hotels – all because the Conservatives have time and again offered cheap gimmicks instead of getting a proper grip”.

Ms Cooper said: “Most people in Britain want to see strong border security and a properly managed asylum and resettlement system so that the UK does its bit to help vulnerable refugees who have fled persecution and conflict – like the Afghan interpreters who helped our armed forces.

“Under the Tories we have the worst of all worlds – a broken asylum system that is neither firm nor fair.”

UK

Google makes £5bn pledge to Britain – but concerns raised over mooted UK-US tech deal

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2 hours ago

September 16, 2025

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Google makes £5bn pledge to Britain - but concerns raised over mooted UK-US tech deal

Google is set to invest £5bn in the UK in the next two years, to support growing demands for AI services.

The announcement, which comes as Google opens a new data centre in Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, is expected to contribute to the creation of thousands of jobs, the US tech giant said.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves described it as a “vote of confidence” in the UK economy.

The news comes hours before Donald Trump lands in the UK for a state visit at which he and Sir Keir Starmer are widely expected to sign a new UK-US tech deal.

It also follows reports that ChatGPT parent firm OpenAI, and Nvidia, will also unveil billions of dollars’ worth of investment into UK data centres this week.

The chancellor said the investment would boost research and development, capital expenditure and engineering.

However, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has criticised the proposed deal as a “Silicon Valley stitch-up”, and has demanded that the government put it to a vote in parliament.

He said: “I am really concerned the government is going to agree to a Silicon Valley stitch-up that hands tax cuts to tech billionaires while undermining protections for our children online.”

Sir Ed added: “Parents want protections for children online to be kept in place, not traded away in a backroom deal with tech barons.

“We can’t let the government sign up to a deal that benefits Elon Musk at the expense of the British people.”

Google has confirmed it will invest £5bn into capital expenditure, research and development, and related engineering over the next two years, which will include “pioneering” AI research in science and healthcare through its DeepMind operation.

The Silicon Valley firm said the investment will help the UK grow its AI economy and contribute to technological breakthroughs, improvements in cybersecurity and job creation.

Google predicted the investment will help to create 8,250 jobs annually at UK businesses.

DeepMind co-founder and chief executive Demis Hassabis said: “We founded DeepMind in London because we knew the UK had the potential and talent to be a global hub for pioneering AI.

“The UK has a rich history of being at the forefront of technology – from Lovelace to Babbage to Turing – so it’s fitting that we’re continuing that legacy by investing in the next wave of innovation and scientific discovery in the UK.”

UK

Heavy security at Windsor for Trump’s state visit feels ‘American’

Published

2 hours ago

September 16, 2025

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Heavy security at Windsor for Trump's state visit feels 'American'

There has been no expense spared for the UK’s biggest security operation since the King’s coronation.

This time the occasion is both royal and presidential. It is vast and honestly feels, well, American.

The operation has been led by Thames Valley Police, but officers from across the UK will also play a part in the visit.

Windsor is a sea of fluorescent yellow jackets and black and white flat caps. Officers are swarming the town and over the next couple of days will be sending drones into crowds, conducting boat patrols and deploying mounted units in and around the wider area.

Authorities have planned for every eventuality but would not expand on whether the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk had led them to heighten security measures.

The assassination of the US activist may have intensified consideration about potential threats, but authorities have had extensive security plans in the works for months.

Operational firearms commander Sergeant Dan Hatfield explained that the police presence will be heightened – and every plan has been worked on in conjunction with the Secret Service.

“The residents of Windsor and visitors to Windsor are used to seeing a fairly high police presence, including armed police,” Sgt Hatfield said.

“However, for this state visit, they will see an increase in those numbers. Fortunately, I’ve had experience working with the Americans with all the Secret Service. We have a really good working relationship and work fairly harmoniously together to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

Whether in the air, on the ground or on the water, safety is paramount.

On a visit with the Thames Valley marine unit, Sky News witnessed what their 24-hour patrol of the waterways would look like.

A section of the River Thames that borders the Castle will be closed off during the visit.

Sergeant Lyn Smith, head of the joint operations marine unit between the Thames Valley and Hampshire forces, said this is the biggest event she has worked on.

“The team is highly trained, we are ready for anything that will happen on or around the water,” she said.

“The marine support unit are going to be doing high visibility patrols, some searching, some specialist searching in and around the area, and working with our partners in the Environment Agency to deliver a safe event.

“Similar to President Macron’s state visit, we are still providing capability on the water, it’s just on a larger scale for us.”

Notably, for the first time in any state visit or royal occasion, the section of the Long Walk leading up to the castle has been cordoned off with large white barricades erected to shield the residence from view.

Airspace over the town is also restricted for the duration of the visit, enforced using police drones and helicopters.

Vehicles will be standing by close to patrol officers on the ground, holding their ballistic helmets, ballistic vests and shields if an incident occurs.

Thousands of protesters plan to descend on Windsor and central London during the visit to demonstrate against the president’s trip.

A rally in central London on Wednesday is expected to draw the largest crowd, but protesters from the Stop Trump Coalition have now confirmed plans for a Tuesday event too.

A royal welcome may not be extended by all – but many will be hoping they won’t drown out the pomp for the president.

UK

PM ‘angry’ over Mandelson scandal – as emergency debate set to ramp up pressure

Published

10 hours ago

September 16, 2025

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PM 'angry' over Mandelson scandal - as emergency debate set to ramp up pressure

An emergency debate will take place in parliament today over Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as his ambassador to the US.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has agreed to allot three hours for questions about what the government, and particular the prime minister, knew and didn’t know about the depth of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Lord Mandelson was appointed in January 2025 to the UK’s most senior overseas diplomatic position – the ambassador to the US.

He had always admitted to having known Epstein, but last week the US Congress unveiled the contents of a 50th “birthday book” which revealed a much closer relationship.

Among the tributes to Epstein in it, Lord Mandelson had described him as “my best pal”.

Then, emails published by The Sun and Bloomberg were even more damning, showing the former Labour minister sympathising with the convicted sex trafficker, saying: “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened.”

Lord Mandelson was removed from his ambassadorial post on Thursday, but not before Sir Keir had defended him at PMQs the day before. He has come under fire over his handling of the issue.

I’m ‘angry’, says PM

On Monday, in his first remarks about the sacking, the embattled prime minister – who earlier this month lost his deputy Angela Rayner to a tax affairs scandal – insisted he would have “never appointed” Lord Mandelson if he’d known then what he knows now.

He told Channel 4 News he was “angry” to have ended up in a situation where he pivoted from defending him to sacking him within 24 hours, suggesting he was unaware of the “detailed allegations” before PMQs.

But questions remain about what exactly the PM – or the vetting team – knew, and the government has declined to release the details of the procedure Lord Mandelson underwent before he was appointed.

The Conservatives hope to use today’s emergency debate to increase pressure on the government to publish all the information – just hours before Donald Trump lands in the UK for a state visit.

The US president is himself embroiled in questions about his own relationship with the disgraced billionaire.

Analysis: No state visit has had a backdrop quite like this

Sir Keir was also hit by the resignation of Number 10’s director of strategy, Paul Ovenden, on Monday. He quit after it emerged he’d sent sexually explicit messages about independent MP Diane Abbott.

It’s all added up to a rotten start to the new parliamentary term for the prime minister, who just two weeks ago confidently declared “phase two” of his government was now under way.

He’s ruled out resigning, despite discontent on his backbenches and Reform UK’s sustained lead in the polls.