Labour MP Apsana Begum Issues Serious Warning to Keir Starmer’s Government Over the Treatment of Migrants and Reveals Why Thousands of People Have Been Arrested in Britain

Labour MP Apsana Begum has strongly criticised the Labour government over its handling of public protests, human rights and civil liberties in Britain. She believes the government has taken a worrying direction by introducing tougher restrictions on protests and allowing thousands of people to be arrested for expressing their political views.

In an article written for the Socialist Campaign Group’s 2026 pamphlet, The Socialist Policies We Need, Begum accused the Labour leadership of moving away from the values of freedom, democracy and fairness that the party has traditionally claimed to support.

According to Begum, many people within the Labour Party have still not fully understood how much damage the government’s decisions have caused to civil liberties during its first two years in power.

She argued that one of the biggest reasons for this situation was the government’s response to the war in Gaza and its relationship with Israel.

Begum said large numbers of people from different backgrounds across Britain had taken to the streets to protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Many protesters were also angry about what they believed was the British government’s failure to take stronger action.

However, instead of listening to their concerns, Begum claimed the government responded by introducing tougher measures to control demonstrations.

She pointed to restrictions on repeated protests, decisions to prevent certain demonstrations from taking place and rules concerning face coverings during protests.

One of her strongest criticisms concerned the decision to ban a direct-action protest organisation under terrorism legislation. She argued that this had resulted in thousands of people being arrested for carrying signs and placards expressing support for the organisation.

Begum described the situation as one of the lowest points in Labour’s record on protecting civil liberties.

She also highlighted figures which she said showed that arrests connected to terrorism-related activity had increased by more than 1,000% during the government’s first full calendar year in office.

In her view, these developments raised serious questions about whether people in Britain could still protest peacefully without fearing arrest or other legal consequences.

Begum made it clear that her concerns were not limited to demonstrations supporting Palestinians.

She also criticised the wider use of facial recognition technology, the growing involvement of technology company Palantir in government data systems, proposals to reduce the use of jury trials and plans to introduce digital identification.

She warned that these developments could give the government greater powers to monitor people and control information about their daily lives.

Although the government has presented some of these policies as ways to improve security and public services, Begum argued that they could create serious risks for personal freedom and privacy.

She also raised concerns about immigration policies, accusing the government of weakening important protections for migrants and asylum seekers.

In particular, she criticised proposals affecting rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and plans that could lead to more migrant children being held in detention.

Begum described these proposals as deeply troubling, arguing that basic human rights should apply to everyone, regardless of their nationality or immigration status.

Another issue she discussed was the treatment of LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender communities.

She said many transgender people in Britain were increasingly worried that the Labour government was failing to protect them at a time when their rights were facing growing challenges in different parts of the world.

According to Begum, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness, and the government should not allow vulnerable communities to feel abandoned.

The Labour MP also warned about the possible long-term consequences of giving governments stronger powers to restrict protests and monitor citizens.

She argued that such powers could become even more dangerous if Reform UK were to form a future government.

Begum said this was one reason why Labour should reverse controversial anti-protest laws introduced under the previous Conservative government rather than continue with similar policies.

However, she suggested that Labour’s problems with democracy and freedom did not begin after the party entered government.

She claimed that the same approach had already been used within the Labour Party itself under Keir Starmer’s leadership.

According to Begum, socialist members, activists, councillors, parliamentary candidates and MPs had faced unfair treatment because of their political views.

She alleged that some members were prevented from standing in elections, while others lost their positions or had their party membership removed without being given a fair opportunity to defend themselves.

Begum also referred to her own experience in Poplar and Limehouse in 2022.

She said the process used to decide whether she could continue representing Labour in the constituency had been surrounded by allegations involving the misuse of personal data, membership problems, harassment and even claims of fraud and bribery.

These were allegations she raised about the process, rather than findings established in her article.

She argued that this kind of internal political conflict had created an environment where Labour politicians could face punishment for disagreeing with the party leadership.

As another example, Begum pointed to Labour MPs being discouraged from joining workers on picket lines during industrial disputes.

She also criticised the suspension of seven members of the Socialist Campaign Group from the Parliamentary Labour Party after they supported removing the two-child benefit limit.

Begum suggested that these decisions showed how the party leadership had become increasingly unwilling to accept disagreement, even when MPs believed they were acting in the interests of ordinary working families.

She claimed that the same political approach used to weaken opposition within Labour had eventually influenced the government’s policies across the country.

In her view, the right-wing faction of the Labour Party had spent years trying to reduce the influence of socialist members, and this had helped create a political culture where restrictions and punishment were increasingly used instead of open discussion.

Begum argued that the government’s approach to protests, immigration, human rights and other controversial issues showed a lack of fresh ideas for dealing with Britain’s problems.

She suggested that when ministers faced difficult questions about Gaza, migration or LGBTQ+ rights, they were too willing to introduce restrictions rather than address the concerns being raised.

The MP believes Britain needs a different political direction, one that gives greater importance to democracy, equality, freedom of expression and the protection of human rights.

She said socialist and progressive policies should focus on improving people’s lives without treating their basic freedoms as obstacles.

Begum also explained that the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs was created to promote democratic socialist ideas and challenge policies that go against those principles.

She believes members of the group have a responsibility to speak out when they think the government is making decisions that could harm ordinary people or weaken their rights.

Her comments also reflected wider disagreements within Labour over the direction of the party and the decisions being made by its leadership.

While supporters of stronger protest laws argue that restrictions may sometimes be necessary to protect public safety and prevent serious disruption, critics such as Begum believe the government must be careful not to undermine peaceful political expression.

The debate has become particularly important as Britain continues to face arguments over immigration, public demonstrations, surveillance technology and the role of government in protecting individual freedoms.

Begum concluded by making it clear that Labour MPs should not remain silent simply because their own party is in power.

She argued that when a Labour government introduces policies that weaken people’s rights, its members must be prepared to challenge those decisions and demand accountability.

For Begum, protecting democracy and human rights should remain a central responsibility of the Labour Party, regardless of who leads it or which political challenges the country faces.

Her message was that Labour must return to the values of fairness, freedom and equality, rather than allowing political disagreements and public protests to become reasons for placing more restrictions on the British people.