Erbil, Kurdistan Region – A Kurdish member of the UK House of Commons has called for comprehensive and humane immigration reforms, days after her party’s decisive victory in the general elections.
“People endure horrific journeys, which is unacceptable. We need fairer and better immigration policies. We need legal routes, as we had for Ukraine and Afghanistan, allowing people to apply from their own countries and travel safely without taking perilous journeys,” said Feryal Clark, Labour MP, during a TV interview with Rudaw’s Hevidar Zana this week.
Clark, 45, born and raised in Britain to parents from Malatya, Turkey, represents London’s Enfield North constituency. Her Labour Party returned to power 14 years after a sweeping victory in Thursday’s general election.
Addressing the issue of illegal immigration, Clark emphasized her party’s commitment to dismantling the networks exploiting immigrants through dangerous routes, including the English Channel, where numerous lives have been lost due to capsized boats.
“We will target the gangs charging people and endangering lives on boats. We will make it harder for them, ensuring they can’t exploit and jeopardize people’s lives,” Clark stated.
The Conservative Party, in power since 2010, ran a campaign with a strong anti-immigration stance, which Clark criticized as divisive and ineffective.
“Sadly, the Conservative party, as they do in every election, tried to use immigration to divide people. Their policy of sending people to Rwanda was cruel, illegal, and it didn’t work. People rejected it,” she said.
In 2022, the Conservative-led government proposed sending asylum seekers entering the country through “illegal routes” to Rwanda for their claims to be processed, a policy widely criticized and ultimately unsuccessful.
Clark secured 21,368 votes, approximately 49.1 percent of the total in her constituency, defeating Conservative candidate Chris Dey, who garnered 19.8 percent.
Labour’s overwhelming victory marked the end of 14 years of Conservative rule, with the party winning 412 seats in the House of Commons, a significant increase from the 2019 elections. The Conservatives won 121 seats.
With 412 seats, Labour gained an absolute majority in the 650-seat parliament, regaining power for the first time since 2010, when former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron defeated Labour’s Gordon Brown.
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