Shabana Mahmood says leaving the European Union stripped Britain of critical tools for tracking cross-border movement, a concession she paired with a firm promise that free movement will not return during this parliament.
The home secretary’s comments come as Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, reignited debate over Britain’s post-Brexit migration framework. Mahmood acknowledged losing access to EU-wide databases after Brexit, which she described as a “very significant” blow to the country’s capacity to manage who enters and leaves.
Without those shared systems, she explained, verifying an individual’s movement history across member states became far more difficult. Yet Mahmood confirmed talks have started with European counterparts to rebuild cooperation on migration policy, with data sharing as a central priority.
Burnham, she said, had good reason to open a national conversation about Brexit’s consequences. Still, she ruled out any shift toward free movement before the next election, citing the Labour manifesto commitment made to voters.
The interview marked Mahmood’s first since the government announced reforms to indefinite leave to remain. Those changes drew earlier criticism from some cabinet colleagues, including Angela Rayner. Mahmood dismissed any suggestion of internal division, insisting a single government position exists and all ministers must follow it.
Confronted with projections showing more than 500,000 settlements by 2028, she directed blame at the previous Conservative administration. The figures, she suggested, reflect inherited policy failures rather than current choices.
Negotiations with EU partners remain at an early stage, but Mahmood’s remarks signal a willingness to repair practical cooperation without reopening the free movement question. The coming months will test whether that balance holds.
