U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman recently asserted that multiculturalism has “failed” in light of Europe’s migrant crisis and advocated for a reevaluation of what she deemed as outdated asylum and refugee regulations. Braverman, the U.K.’s top immigration official, made her remarks during an address at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, where she criticized multiculturalism as a “misguided dogma” that had not successfully assimilated foreign nationals into their new societies.
She highlighted the negative impact of uncontrolled immigration, “inadequate” integration efforts, and the persistence of multiculturalism, characterizing this combination as detrimental to Europe. Braverman argued that multiculturalism had not encouraged newcomers to integrate and had allowed them to lead parallel lives in their host countries, sometimes even undermining societal stability and security.
She pointed to the visible consequences of this approach across Europe and in the U.K., where immigration challenges persist. The U.K., although no longer a part of the European Union, has grappled with an influx of migrants arriving in small boats across the English Channel from France. To address this, the country has enacted legislation to detain and deport illegal immigrants arriving by sea and has faced legal challenges regarding deportations to Rwanda.
Braverman also questioned the suitability of the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention in the modern age. She argued that asylum should not be granted solely based on factors like sexuality or gender unless there is a genuine threat of death, torture, oppression, or violence. Braverman emphasized that while it is essential to provide sanctuary to those facing persecution, the asylum system cannot be sustainable if these criteria alone are sufficient for protection. She stressed the need for updated legal frameworks to address the “existential challenge” posed by migration surges, particularly in the West.
Her remarks reflect a broader trend in the Western world, with growing calls for stricter control and limitations on migrant surges, even when migrants have passed through multiple safe countries before seeking asylum.
