People granted asylum in the UK will face a 20-year wait before they can apply for permanent settlement under new reforms set to be announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday.
The major overhaul of asylum policy comes as the government seeks to reduce small boat crossings and the overall number of asylum claims. Under the proposed reforms, people who are granted asylum will be allowed to stay only temporarily, with their refugee status subject to regular review. If conditions in their home country are later deemed safe, they will be required to return.
At present, refugee status lasts for five years, after which individuals can apply for indefinite leave to remain. Mahmood’s plan would cut the initial period to two and a half years, with periodic reviews thereafter, while extending the pathway to permanent residency from five years to 20.
Mahmood told the Sunday Times that the changes are intended to send a clear message: “Do not come to this country as an illegal migrant, do not get on a boat.” She said illegal migration was “tearing our country apart” and stressed the government’s responsibility to “unite our country.” She warned that without action, the UK risked becoming “much more divided.”
The policy mirrors Denmark’s strict asylum system, introduced by a centre-left government, where refugees receive temporary residence permits—typically lasting two years—and must effectively reapply when they expire.
Mahmood’s proposals are expected to face opposition from some Labour MPs. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson said it was “right the government looks at new ways to fix the disorderly asylum system created by the Conservatives,” but cautioned that Labour “shouldn’t kid itself that these measures are an alternative to processing claims quickly so we can remove those with no right to be here.”
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, criticised the plans as “harsh and unnecessary,” saying they would not deter people fleeing persecution, torture, or violence.
