Does the UK do enough for asylum seekers? With Amina Khanom and Eric Kaufmann
In recent months, the debate over asylum has moved beyond the corridors of Westminster to the heart of local communities. Across the country, the raising of St George’s flags in various towns and the significant unrest in Epping surrounding the use of ‘asylum hotels’ have highlighted a deeply polarised public. While these events are seen by some as a manifestation of community anxiety and a sense of powerlessness, others view them as a confrontational escalation that complicates an already sensitive humanitarian issue.
As the UK continues to navigate the tension between international obligations and national border control, the core question remains: does the UK do enough for asylum seekers?
In this episode of The Bridge: A Disagreeing Well Podcast from University College London and Students’ Union UCL, we examine whether the current system is grounded in reality or driven by "policy myths". UCL student host Diego Lacheze-Beer facilitates a nuanced discussion between two guests who, despite deep ideological differences, find common ground:
- Amina Khanom, Director of the charity Reset Communities for Refugees, argues that the UK is not doing enough. She contends that "pull factors" - the idea that welfare or work rights attract refugees - are myths unsupported by data. For Amina, the focus should be on creating safe, regular routes and fixing a "slow and under-resourced" system that pushes people into the hands of smugglers.
- Eric Kaufmann, Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham, believes the UK is doing enough for those who arrive, but should shift its focus. He argues that while people have a right to asylum (safety), they do not have an inherent right to settlement in a wealthy country. He advocates for offshore processing and strict annual quotas to disincentivise those he views as primarily economic migrants.
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
- Understand the "Why": Melanie encouraged the guests to share their personal motivations - Amina’s lived experience as a Bangladeshi immigrant and Professor Kaufmann’s academic interest in national identity - to humanise the roots of their disagreement.
- Challenge the Binary: The discussion moves beyond the simple "genuine vs non-genuine" refugee label, exploring how conflict, economic collapse, and instability are often interconnected, making simple categorisation difficult.
- Identify Common Solutions: Despite opposing views on settlement, both guests agreed on the necessity of funding better facilities and infrastructure in countries geographically closer to conflict zones, such as Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.
- The Power of Curiosity: The guests reflected on the importance of approaching "hotly debated" topics with curiosity rather than a need to "win," emphasising that open dialogue in a university setting is vital for taking the "venom" out of public discourse.
Listen now to hear how we can bridge the divide on one of the most polarising issues in modern British politics.
This production was led by UCL student presenters, Diego Lacheze-Beer and Marva Khalid, who are participants on Students’ Union UCL’s Impartial Chairs Programme. Find out more about the programme and, if you are a UCL student, how you can apply here.
This is a Research Podcasts production.
Episode Credits
Presenter: Diego Lacheze-Beer Students’ Union UCL Impartial Chair
Guests: Amina Khanom and Eric Kaufmann
Producer and editor: Research Podcasts
Music: The Investigation by Pixabay
Artwork: Johnson Banks and Indianna Dimmer
Further reading and resources
- Kaufmann, E. (2018) Whiteshift: populism, immigration and the future of white majorities
- Reset Communities for Refugees
- The Migration Observatory (2025) Changes to settlement: what do they mean?.
Creators and Guests
Host
Dr Melanie Garson
Melanie has been teaching on international conflict resolution and international security at UCL since 2010. She provides practical insights and thought leadership for policymakers across the full spectrum of cyber policy, tech geopolitics, and defence innovation challenges. Melanie is an accredited mediator and regularly provides commentary on geopolitics and tech in podcasts, webinars and at major media outlets including Bloomberg, BBC, Sky, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, France 24, and DeutscheWelle.
Guest
Amina Khanom
Director of the charity Reset Communities for Refugees, argues that the UK is not doing enough. She contends that "pull factors" - the idea that welfare or work rights attract refugees - are myths unsupported by data. For Amina, the focus should be on creating safe, regular routes and fixing a "slow and under-resourced" system that pushes people into the hands of smugglers.
Guest
Eric Kaufmann
Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham, believes the UK is doing enough for those who arrive, but should shift its focus. He argues that while people have a right to asylum (safety), they do not have an inherent right to settlement in a wealthy country. He advocates for offshore processing and strict annual quotas to disincentivise those he views as primarily economic migrants.
