Britain’s equality watchdog has urged the Labour government to make it easier for migrants to access state benefits, prompting a furious Conservative backlash over what critics described as an attack on the principle of immigration controls.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) gave the Government its lowest rating of “inconsistent action” over its failure to implement recommendations from the United Nations, including calls to scrap restrictions preventing many migrants from accessing public funds.
The commission said: “Instead of revising rules which do not allow many migrants to access social security (‘no recourse to public funds’) when they may need it – in line with the UN’s recommendations – the Government has consulted on proposals to extend no recourse to public funds conditions to people granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK.”
The intervention puts the EHRC directly at odds with ministers who have been seeking to tighten immigration rules and reduce the cost of supporting asylum seekers.
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, the commission’s chairwoman, argued that human rights protections should apply to everyone “regardless of their citizenship or immigration status”.
She said migrants needed greater access to welfare in order to reduce the risk of poverty among migrant households.
An EHRC tracker published in 2025 called for 10 outstanding UN recommendations to be implemented, including scrapping the “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) condition.
People subject to NRPF restrictions are generally barred from claiming most benefits, tax credits and housing assistance provided by the state.
The watchdog has separately called for asylum seekers to be permitted to work before their claims have been decided, while criticising the Government for scrapping a refugee employability programme designed to help asylum seekers prepare CVs and interviews.
Dr Stephenson said: “Among the UN’s recommendations are steps that the government could be taking to improve how people arriving in this country settle and contribute to it.
“Which should accelerate their integration into society and improve social cohesion in our communities.
“That’s why we are calling on the UK government to implement the outstanding recommendations for promoting economic, cultural and social rights in full.”
Her intervention triggered an immediate political backlash.
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, accused the commission of being detached from the pressures facing British households.
“The out-of-touch Equality and Human Rights Commission and its ridiculous demands show exactly why we need to strip these bodies of any control over Government policy,” he told the Daily Mail.
“There is not a word from them speaking up for the hardworking British families struggling with their own bills, but these open-borders activists never miss a chance to lobby for more benefits for immigrants.”
Mr Philp said Britain’s welfare system could itself act as a “pull factor” for migration and said his party would restrict benefits to Britons.
Neil O’Brien, another Conservative MP, said: “The problem with encouraging more free handouts and benefits for illegal immigrants is that you create a pull factor and encourage even more people to come. Many are not really refugees but just economic migrants.
“Encouraging even more unvetted, illegal migrants to come here poses a serious risk to British people.”
The dispute comes against the backdrop of continued pressure on the asylum system.
Nearly 40,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats in the year to March 2026, while 44,000 illegal entries were detected across all routes.
The row has also been fuelled by reports of councils prioritising asylum seekers for accommodation during a wider housing shortage, while conditions provided to migrants have attracted criticism from local politicians.
At RAF Wethersfield in Essex, where about 800 migrants have been accommodated, residents have had access to free bus travel and an on-site medical centre, according to Peter Harris, leader of Essex County Council.
Reports that some migrants had complained about the absence of a swimming pool at the former military base further intensified criticism.
Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, described Dr Stephenson’s intervention as “breathtaking cheek”.
“The chair of the EHRC has the effrontery to demand that the British taxpayer dole out more money for migrants for fear of upsetting the UN – a body that now seems utterly divorced from the real world,” he said.
The Home Office defended the Government’s approach, saying ministers remained committed to protecting asylum seekers while tightening control of the system.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We will always provide sanctuary to those who genuinely need it. We take the safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously.
“The Home Secretary has overhauled Britain’s immigration system to restore fairness and control to our borders while reducing the burden on local communities. We are closing every asylum hotel, bearing down on dangerous small boat crossings and delivering record-high removals of individuals illegally in the UK.”
The clash exposes a widening fault line over Britain’s asylum and welfare systems, the EHRC is pressing ministers to expand social and economic protections for migrants, while Conservative critics argue that doing so could increase the incentives to come to Britain at a time when the state is already struggling with the cost of accommodation, benefits and border enforcement.
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