Sadiq Khan defends Labour’s borders stance but insists he’s ‘pro-diversity’
Speaking at Ramadan Lights switch-on, mayor of London also says future Muslim leaders shouldn’t be put off by smear campaigns against him
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London mayor Sadiq Khan on Wednesday defended the Labour government’s hardened stance on migration — but said he believed that “diversity is a strength, not a weakness”.
Speaking to Hyphen at the annual Ramadan Lights London switch-on event in the West End of the capital, Khan — who beat the Conservatives’ Susan Hall to win a third term in 2024 — insisted: “It’s perfectly possible to be pro-diversity while wanting immigration policies that work.”
Labour has been accused of trying to outflank Nigel Farage’s Reform UK by publishing videos of immigration raids, and is already facing a legal challenge to its attempt to bar people who arrive on small boats from achieving citizenship.
But Khan said: “We can’t have open borders. Just think about the consequence of having open borders. There’s got to be rules in relation to coming to the country, whether you’re a student, whether you’re a tourist, whether you’re off to a family reunion, whether you’re claiming asylum. And I think the key thing is to understand that actually there are lots of people here like me, who are the children of migrants, [who have] come to study. But at the same time, there’s got to be rules.”
The celebration, organised by the Aziz Foundation, returned for its third year, illuminating central London with a dazzling display celebrating the holy month.
Last year, the event attracted criticism from right-wing media, with GB News claiming people were furious that the display overlapped with Easter weekend. Khan himself has also been the subject of Islamophobic hate and conspiracy theories, with his attempts to reduce car traffic in the capital a particular magnet for disinformation and abuse. During his first mayoral campaign in 2016, Khan’s Tory challenger, Zac Goldsmith, accused him of “giving cover to extremists”.
Asked whether he was concerned that his treatment could put off future Muslim leaders, he said: “When you see the actions of bullies, they’re motivated because they want to scare you, cower you, drive you away from public service. We can’t let them succeed.”
He added: “We want to encourage youngsters to get involved in politics, journalism and media, and not to allow people to scare us.”
The mayor’s words come against the backdrop of the recent rise in hate crimes and Islamophobia in the UK. During the summer of 2024, when a wave of anti-immigration riots hit the UK, Khan said Londoners came out to show their support for and solidarity with Muslims and refugees.
“What’s really important is, here in London, we don’t just stand strong against hatred, but we shine a light of hope,” he said. “There’s always going to be haters. The great thing about this city of ours is we don’t simply tolerate difference — we respect it, we embrace it, we celebrate it.”
And he reaffirmed his support for the importance of visible celebrations of faith, saying Ramadan, like other religious observances, should be acknowledged in public spaces.
The Ramadan Lights, which feature the words Happy Ramadan glowing above Coventry Street, have become a symbol of representation for British Muslims. For Khan, it is about ensuring that young Muslims growing up in London feel seen and valued.
“I think it’s really important for young people growing up in this city to be proud to be Londoners, to be proud to be English, proud to be British, but also to be proud to be Muslim,” he said.
The mayor’s main message of the evening was to urge communities to stand in solidarity against hatred and to champion a city where diversity is recognised as a strength.
“Here in London,” he said, “we’ve got this great thing called the London Promise. You work hard, you get a helping hand, you can achieve anything — and long may that continue.”
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