Is there merit in Labour's asylum policies?

The Government’s new policy proposals on asylum claimants and refugees have come under a lot of criticism. But Alan Manning argues that Labour’s minister Shabana Mahmood has correctly identified that the current status quo of irregular migration is unsustainable. Whether Labour’s policies will be effective in reducing the numbers of irregular migrants is very hard to tell given the available evidence, but unless the Government acts there will be further reduction in the public’s support for humanitarian migration.