Ministers in the UK government have expressed frustration with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood after she repeatedly declined to disclose how many additional people could become homeless as a result of planned changes to the asylum system, according to sources close to the cabinet.
Colleagues say Mahmood has been unwilling to share estimates they regard as essential for preparing local authorities and other departments for the consequences of the migration shake-up. Those ministers are said to be concerned that without clear figures it will be difficult to plan housing provision, social services and budgets.
Responsibility and political consequences
The dispute underlines tensions within government over responsibility for the knock-on effects of asylum policy. Ministers who deal with housing, local government and welfare reportedly fear that rising homelessness could create practical and political challenges for their departments, and believe early access to impact assessments is necessary to mitigate risks.
Mahmood’s office has not publicly released the figures cited by colleagues, and sources say the home secretary has repeatedly resisted requests to make those estimates available. The withholding of the information has provoked irritation among ministers who say transparency is important when policy changes have cross-departmental implications.
Calls for clarity and co-ordination
Ministers pressing for the data argue that clearer interdepartmental co-ordination and timely sharing of impact assessments would allow councils and frontline services to prepare for possible increases in demand. They say such information also matters for parliamentary scrutiny and for managing public debate about the effects of the government’s asylum reforms.
The episode adds to wider scrutiny of the government’s approach to migration policy, with internal disagreements over how best to balance enforcement aims with the practical demands placed on housing and welfare systems. It remains unclear whether the home secretary will release the requested estimates or provide further briefings to colleagues in the coming days.