The UK government intends to tighten migration policy, in particular, increasing the waiting period for permanent residence permits for asylum seekers from five to 20 years. This was announced in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country.
According to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the decision is aimed at stopping illegal migration, which is “tearing the country apart”.
The new rules also stipulate that refugee status will become temporary and will be reviewed every 30 months.
The Home Office said the duty to support asylum seekers would also be abolished. This means that asylum seekers will no longer be guaranteed housing and weekly financial payments.
The ministry said taxpayer-funded support will prioritise those migrants who contribute to the economy and local communities. Instead, the government could refuse assistance to any asylum seeker who could work or support themselves but did not, or those who had committed offences.
As Mahmood emphasised, the government’s aim is to unite the country and regain control of the borders.
The British plan is modelled on reforms in Denmark, where asylum applications have fallen to a 40-year low and 95 per cent of applicants are rejected, The Sunday Times reported.
According to official figures, asylum applications in the UK are at an all-time high, with around 111,000 applications in the year to June 2025.
The government’s plans have drawn criticism from human rights groups, Reuters writes. In particular, more than 100 British charities wrote a letter to Mahmood urging her to “stop making scapegoats of migrants and stop policies that do nothing but harm,” saying such moves fuel racism and violence.