Key points
- Asylum status could now last just 30 months, down from five years, with ongoing government reviews.
- Support for asylum seekers, including housing and financial aid, will no longer be guaranteed.
- Family reunions and long-term settlement could be delayed for decades, fundamentally changing life plans.
- Critics warn that the reforms may push asylum seekers toward unsafe alternatives and exacerbate human suffering.
LONDON: As the UK government unveils its most significant shake-up of the asylum system in modern times, asylum seekers are to face a drastically changed landscape, according to international media reports on Sunday.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the FT that asylum seekers’ automatic right to accommodation and financial support will end, with assistance becoming discretionary and conditional on compliance, work, or study, according to the Financial Times.
Under the new plans, temporary asylum protection will last only 30 months, after which the Home Office will review whether the individual’s home country is deemed safe again. Family reunions are no longer guaranteed, and permanent settlement could take up to 20 years—a steep increase from the previous five-year period. People who hold the ‘right to work’ but fail to utilise it may also be denied support, heightening risks of destitution for some.
The reforms, modelled on Denmark’s 2021 measures, aim to curb clandestine migration, particularly the dangerous Channel crossings. Mahmood stated that while the UK has a proud tradition of welcoming those fleeing danger, its generosity has been drawing illegal migration, creating what she called a “powerful pull factor”.
Critics argue the changes are harsh and unnecessary. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, told The Guardian that the policies could force asylum seekers into destitution and sleeping rough. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp told the BBC that the new measures stop short of what is needed, calling some proposals mere gimmicks.
For those considering the UK as a refuge, the message is clear: the asylum landscape has fundamentally shifted. Navigating the new system will require careful planning, awareness of conditional support, and an understanding that long-term security is no longer guaranteed.
