Ministers Clash Over Mahmood's Migration Data Refusal

Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, has drawn frustration from fellow ministers by declining to share what they say are necessary details about how her asylum system changes will affect homelessness. Officials involved in the dispute said Mahmood has repeatedly declined to provide figures when asked about the expected impact on rough sleeping.

The standoff has left colleagues who work on rough sleeping policy unable to plan. One person familiar with the exchanges said Mahmood was asked multiple times for the Home Office assessment of how her changes would affect homelessness and community cohesion. "She point-blank refused to engage with it," the person said.

Home Office ministers are due to meet counterparts from other departments over the next few days to work out a compromise. The discussions include warnings about possible staffing problems in the care sector.

Allies of Mahmood say they cannot yet give a number because the design of the policy is not final. They say the new system is intended to limit any effect on destitution and homelessness. A Home Office spokesperson said the policy went through the normal cross-government process and that information was shared through the formal collective agreement process. The spokesperson also said that ending asylum hotels will not leave people homeless, and that reforms have saved taxpayers more than £1bn since the election.

Mahmood announced her changes last November. The proposals end permanent leave to remain and remove the government's duty to support people who would otherwise become destitute. She said the changes would restore order to immigration and reduce the appeal of parties such as Reform UK. An impact assessment released this month said homelessness could rise if repayments cut disposable income, which may increase demand for homelessness services and rough sleeping support, and add cost pressures for local authorities. The document also said that because the recoupment mechanism has not been developed, it is not possible to assess the scale of the risk at this stage.

Ali McGovern and Miatta Fahnbulleh were the first ministers to ask for these details, while serving under Keir Starmer. Steve Reed, then housing secretary, supported them. The three were concerned about people sleeping on the streets as asylum seekers move out of hotels, and said the November proposals could stop the government from meeting its target to halve rough sleeping by the end of the parliament. McGovern and Fahnbulleh met Alex Norris, then a Home Office minister and now justice secretary, but said few questions were answered. They were preparing a formal letter to the Home Office when Fahnbulleh resigned from government in a move that helped bring about Starmer's departure from Downing Street. Sources said the letter was never sent.

Ministers say the dispute has grown since Andy Burnham took office. Burnham has promised to give every rough sleeper a route off the streets by Christmas and has committed hundreds of millions of pounds to the effort. Angela Rayner, housing secretary, also wants more detail on the impact of Mahmood's proposals. She is concerned that moving asylum seekers from hotels into houses of multiple occupancy could renew anti-immigration protests. Rayner has also argued against Mahmood's changes to legal migration and has said the government should exempt care workers from plans that make it harder for workers to reach settled status.

Burnham was considering intervening to make sure care workers are exempted, in order to prevent a sudden exodus from the sector. A decision on the issue is due over the next 10 days after meetings between senior ministers. A government source said the prime minister wants ministers to handle the detail of the policy, and that he supports Shabana while also wanting to make sure sectors get the support they need.

Meetings between Home Office ministers and colleagues from other departments are scheduled over the next few days.