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Katie Lam, UK Shadow Minister, on Immigration

Episode length: 41m

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This week’s episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features Katie Lam, Conservative Member of Parliament for Weald of Kent and a Shadow Home Office Minister, who brings a British perspective on the pressing issue of immigration.

Since 1974, the UK’s immigration system has been marked by broken promises to the voters and rising numbers – despite repeated pledges to reduce migration. Net migration has averaged 100,000+ annually since 1977, peaking at more than 900,000 in 2023, creating profound economic, cultural, and practical challenges.

In a conversation with Mark Krikorian, the Center’s Executive Director, Lam argues that both legal and illegal migration must be tackled head-on:

Legal Migration

  • Current system brings in too many people and is insufficiently selective.
  • Health & Social Care visa was projected to bring in 6,000 entrants – but saw 600,000 arrivals, many not working in the sector.
  • Consequence: artificially low wages, huge costs to taxpayers in part due to long-term settlement rights that provide welfare, housing, and full healthcare.
  • Solution: cut and cap numbers, set clear criteria.

Illegal Migration

  • Over 30,000 illegal Channel crossings so far this year – the 2025 number will be a record high.
  • Criminal gangs drive the crossings, costing taxpayers 52,000 pounds per person annually – before even receiving asylum – in housing, food, clothing, and spending money.
  • Lam supports the Rwanda plan – a third-country asylum model to deter unlawful entry.

She also raises concerns about judicial overreach, international treaties, and the erosion of parliamentary authority in controlling borders. Lam makes the case for a reformed Conservative Party to deliver consistent, specific, and enforceable immigration policies – restoring trust with voters and winning in the future election.

In today's commentary, Mark Krikorian notes the role that taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens plays in the current government shutdown debate and observes that the only major immigration function that stops during a shutdown is E-Verify.

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Katie Lamm is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Weald of Kent and a Shadow Home Office Minister.

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

  • Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
  • Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
  • President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
  • Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
  • Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
  • Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
  • Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
  • Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
  • Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
  • Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
  • Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".
Host:
Mark Krikorian