Shabana Mahmood admits Home Office 'not yet fit for purpose' as it's plagued by 'culture of defeatism'

Oct 23, 2025 - 11:32

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Shabana Mahmood admits Home Office 'not yet fit for purpose' as it's plagued by 'culture of defeatism'

The Home Office is "not yet fit for purpose", Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has admitted.

Ms Mahmood vowed to rebuild the department, which is responsible for internal security, public safety and immigration, so that it "delivers for this country".

A damning report labelled the Home Office, which Ms Mahmood took charge of last month, as having a "culture of defeatism" on immigration.

The two-month review of its effectiveness was led by the former Home Office special adviser Nick Timothy, now a Conservative MP, and was commissioned in 2022 by the then-Home Secretary, Suella Braverman.

It concluded that "too much time is wasted" on identity politics and social issues, adding that civil servants meet in "listening circles" to discuss them.

The report also found that no single official is responsible for the immigration system as a whole, describing the structure as "uneven".

Ms Mahmood said: "This report, written under the last Government, is damning. To those who have encountered the Home Office in recent years, the revelations are all too familiar.

"The Home Office is not yet fit for purpose, and has been set up for failure. As this report shows, the last Conservative Government knew this, but failed to do anything about it.

She added: "Things are now changing. I will work with the new permanent secretary to transform the Home Office so that it delivers for this country."

The Home Office was most seriously criticised on its "lethargic" handling of immigration, with a backlog of 166,000 asylum cases and interviews often delayed for up to two years.

Civil servants refused to work on immigration due to personal beliefs or fear of "likely legal challenge, and even the possibility of defeat".

Outdated technology also makes it "impossible to answer straightforward questions quickly".

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Mr Timothy dismissed calls to split up the department, calling it a "distraction from the delivery of core business", and argued that urgent investment in modern, interoperable systems is needed to improve decision-making.

Speaking to GB News, ex-Home Secretary James Cleverly: said: "I did see that amongst certain circles within the Home Office, there was a lack of focus. There was a lack of prioritisation.

"When I became Home Secretary, I made it very, very clear what our priorities were: securing our borders, protecting women and girls, and ensuring that the kind of crimes that people feel in their everyday lives were gripped.

"And what I discovered in the department was that it diluted that effort amongst a whole load of other things."

He added: "It's one of the reasons why we need to reduce the size of the civil service, to make sure the people who work for the civil service are excellent and are focused."

On Wednesday, over 200 migrants crossed the English Channel, taking the total number of arrivals so far this year to 36,956.

The figure is 70 higher than the 36,816 migrants who crossed the Channel illegally during the whole of 2024.

Ms Mahmood released a statement following the grim milestone, describing the figures as "shameful".

The statement read: "The previous Government left our borders in crisis, and we are still living with the consequences.

"These figures are shameful – the British people deserve better.

"This Government is taking action. We have detained and removed more than 35,000 who were here illegally. Our historic deal with the French means those who arrive on small boats are now being sent back.

"But it is clear we must go further and faster – removing more of those here illegally, and stopping migrants from making small boat crossings in the first place. And I have been clear: I will do whatever it takes to restore order to our border."

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