Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary is set to unveil an overhaul of the United Kingdom’s asylum system on Monday, introducing some of the most stringent residency rules in recent decades.
Under the proposed policy, people granted asylum would be required to wait 20 years before becoming eligible to apply for permanent settlement, a major departure from the current five-year pathway.
The reforms are part of the government’s renewed attempt to curb irregular migration, particularly small-boat crossings across the English Channel, and to reduce the overall number of asylum claims entering the system.
At present, refugees receive an initial five-year status after which they can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Mahmood’s planned reforms would halve the initial grant of refugee status to two-and-a-half years, and introduce a system of regular reviews to determine whether individuals should be allowed to remain in the UK.
Under the new framework, asylum seekers would hold only temporary protection, and those whose home countries are later deemed safe would be directed to return.
The extended 20-year period before applying for permanent residence is intended to discourage irregular entry routes, according to Mahmood’s proposals.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mahmood defended the proposals, saying they were crafted to send a clear message: “Do not come to this country as an illegal migrant, do not get on a boat.”
The home secretary warned that irregular migration was “tearing our country apart” and insisted that the government had a responsibility to “unite our country” by tightening border and asylum controls.
“If we don’t sort this out, I think our country becomes much more divided,” she said.
According to BBC report, the proposed measures mirror policies implemented in Denmark, where a Social Democratic government has overseen one of Europe’s toughest asylum regimes.
In Denmark, refugees receive temporary permits, typically valid for two years, and must effectively reapply for asylum each time the permit expires. Mahmood’s plan signals a significant shift toward this Scandinavian model.
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The report noted that Max Wilkinson, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson acknowledged the need to fix what he described as a “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 proposals as “harsh and unnecessary,” saying they would not deter people fleeing persecution, torture, or violent conflict.
“These plans won’t stop people who have seen family members killed or who are escaping brutal wars,” he said.
