EXCLUSIVE – Keir Starmer’s minister for migration said it should be easier for undocumented migrants to get visas.
Sir Keir Starmer’s migration minister has a long track record of supporting undocumented migrants it can be revealed, even signing a pledge not to report them to the authorities. Seema Malhotra, who has served as the Home Office minister in charge of migration and citizenship since July last year, also spoke in favour of an amnesty for undocumented migrants in 2021.
The revelation comes in a week that the Prime Minister radically changed his mind about immigration, and insisted to voters he understands their anger about the crisis. In 2018 Ms Malhotra signed a pledge by hard-left group ‘Global Justice Now’ entitled ‘MPs not border guards’. Along with 102 fellow MPs, including a number of fellow Home Office ministers, Ms Malhotra backed the statement: “As a member of parliament, I pledge to represent and advocate for all people living in my constituency as equal members of the local community, regardless of their immigration status.”
Seema Malhotra wanted to make it easier for undocumented migrants to become citizens (Image: Parliament)
“My constituency and surgery are safe places and I welcome all my constituents to seek representation free from fear of immigration enforcement.
“I will not report on anyone who seeks my advice to the Home Office for immigration enforcement and will ensure my office correctly handles sensitive personal information to prevent this from happening.”
Other signatories included LibDem leader Ed Davey, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Jess Phillips, and Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves.
Three years later, in 2021, the Feltham and Heston MP took part in a Westminster Hall debate calling for an amnesty for undocumented migrants.
The debate was sparked by a petition demanding “urgent amnesty to undocumented migrants” who are “suffering in silence”, which garnered 103,000 signatures.
Ms Malhotra (right) at Keir Starmer’s immigration speech this week (Image: Getty)
Taking to her feet, Ms Malhotra said undocumented migrants in her London constituency are “living on the margin of society under continuous stress and anxiety, their basic rights often disregarded.”
She called for “humanity and compassion” and for the Government to make it simpler for undocumented migrants to “become regularised”, including slashing the fee of applications.
She told MPs: “Surely, in the interests of our economy and effective administration, which covid now demands, and in the interests of humanity, there needs to be a much better answer to the issue of undocumented migrants”
Since entering the Home Office, Ms Malhotra has done a 180-turn on the issue of migrants, and is now boasting about the number she is deporting.
Responding to the revelations, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told the Express: “Labour Ministers are clearly not even interested in fixing illegal or legal immigration.”
“Starmer is the man who said immigration laws are racist and he campaigned to keep dangerous foreign criminals in the UK.
“Labour should immediately adopt Conservative plans – a Rwanda removals deterrent for all illegal immigrants; a low binding annual cap on legal migration and repeal of the Human Rights Act for all immigration matters.
“But Labour voted against all these Conservative plans in Parliament just this week. Labour cannot be trusted to control our borders.”
Ms Malhotra was approached for comment.
10 hours ago23
“An immigrant MP looking after other immigrants, at the expense of British nationals. Now there’s a surprise!”
8 hours ago23
“”Their basic right”…they’ve got no right to be here in the first place. “
8 hours ago22
“Basically Labour wants to give every illegal citizenship and release every prisoner …”