UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has proposed stricter conditions to its asylum seeker policy.
Among the changes will be more frequent reviews of refugee status and longer waits before migrants can apply for permanent residency.
Mahmood said the reform would “restore order and control”.
The bill is set to be introduced to UK Parliament on Monday (local time).
Background
Seeking asylum is a legal process where a person flees their home country due to persecution and applies for protection in a different place.
It is legal under international law, and countries must not send asylum seekers to an unsafe place.
In 2024, the UK received 108,100 applications for asylum, the highest number recorded in one year.
About a third of these individualsarrived on small boats, such as dinghies and kayaks, crossing the English Channel from France.
In July, the two nations agreed to a deal to turn back migrants attempting to arrive on small boats from France.
In return, an equal number of migrants will be resettled in the UK from France.
The previous Conservative Government launched a scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. After winning the 2024 election, the Labour Party cancelled the deal.
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Changes
In a video shared to Facebook, Mahmood said she was announcing “the most significant changes to our asylum system in modern times.”
UK media reports the bill will be based on Danish immigration law.
Among the changes will be the wait time for refugees to apply for permanent residency, increasing from five to 10 years if they arrive legally, or 20 years if their arrival was illegal.
The UK Government will reportedly give refugees temporary status for 2.5 years, to be reviewed every 30 months. If their home country is seen as safe, they will be required to return.
Financial and housing assistance will be withdrawn for people convicted of crimes or those who can work.
In September, Mahmood proposed a“contribution-based settlement model,” with conditions including“giving back” by volunteering.
Volunteer groups criticised the move, with more than 300 signing a letter calling it “an exploitation... we cannot accept.”
Criticism
Fellow Labour Party member Tony Vaughan said the Government “must think again on this.”
Vaughan said: “The rhetoric around these reforms encourages the same culture of divisiveness that sees racism and abuse growing in our communities.”
Refugee Council UK CEO Enver Solomon told media the changes would “leave people in limbo” and that many refugees “do want to go back home to their country… but they don’t know whether it will be safe.”
