US mulls offering asylum to British Jews following alleged antisemitism

Members of Donald Trump's administration have discussed the possibility of offering asylum to members of Britain's Jewish community, according to a lawyer for the US president, a proposal that has drawn criticism for inflaming fears, conflating political dissent with antisemitism, and echoing Islamophobic narratives.

In an interview with right-wing newspaper The Telegraph, Robert Garson said he had discussed the idea with officials at the US State Department, claiming that "rising antisemitism" had made the UK "unsafe" for Jews.

Garson, who was born in the UK, accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of allowing antisemitism to spread and criticised him for not taking harsher action against pro-Palestine protests and "political Islam".

His remarks mirror a wider trend among staunch supporters of Israel who portray opposition to Israeli government policy, including criticism of its war on Gaza, as inherently "antisemitic".

This position is disputed by many academics, Jewish groups, and human rights organisations, who draw a clear distinction between antisemitism and political opposition to Zionism or Israeli state actions.

The State Department declined to comment on the proposal itself but told The New Arab that it "expects our partners and allies to protect Jewish individuals and communities from antisemitism and violence".

Garson has previously described pro-Palestinian protesters in the US as "marauding mobs … baying for Jewish blood", language that civil liberties groups say fuels Islamophobia and collective suspicion of Muslim communities.

In the interview, Garson said he had also raised the issue with Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, Trump's antisemitism envoy, in his capacity as a board member of the US Holocaust Memorial Council.

"The UK is no longer a safe place for Jews," Garson told the outlet, adding that he had asked whether the US president should offer asylum to British Jews.

His comments come amid polling showing increased anxiety among parts of the UK's Jewish community, following a series of high-profile attacks globally.

In the UK, two people were killed and four others injured in a stabbing attack at a Manchester synagogue in October.

Garson framed the prospect of Jewish migration to the US as beneficial, describing it as "not an unattractive proposition" and praising potential arrivals as English-speaking and well educated, remarks that critics say echo exclusionary and racialised views of migration.

The proposal sits uneasily alongside the Trump administration’s broader immigration agenda, which has included mass arrests, sweeping visa restrictions, and an effective ban on most refugees, while making limited exceptions for specific groups aligned with the president’s political claims.

It also cuts against the stated aims of Israel’s far-right government, which has sought to use rising insecurity abroad to encourage Jewish immigration to Israel.

While Israeli data showed an increase in arrivals from Western countries in 2025, overall immigration declined due to fewer arrivals from Russia.