UK to Make Major Overhaul to Asylum Policies Amid Rising Support for Reform UK
The United Kingdom is set to drastically reduce protections for asylum seekers and refugees in what is being called the largest asylum policy overhaul in modern times
. This comes as the Labour government faces increasing pressure over irregular migration and the growing popularity of the far-right Reform UK party.
Background and Context
Reform UK, described by Business Secretary Peter Kyle as today’s incarnation of the politics of Enoch Powell
and far right
, has soared in polls, leading to fears over future visa rules among Britain's migrant communities. The party has proposed a range of hardline immigration policies, including plans to abolish indefinite leave to remain – the right to settle permanently in the UK after five years of residence.
The Labour government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has been toughening its stance on immigration, as it seeks to counter this support for Reform UK. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce changes to the asylum system, including the revoking of guaranteed housing and financial support to certain asylum seekers.
Key Developments
The new asylum policies will reduce the length of stay for refugees from five years to thirty months, and increase the time required to apply for permanent residency from five to twenty years. Inspired by Denmark's approach, these changes aim to make Britain less attractive to illegal migrants and make it easier to remove them.
I’ll end the UK’s golden ticket for asylum seekers,
Mahmood declared in a statement. The Home Office also indicated that the statutory duty to provide housing and financial support to certain asylum seekers would be revoked. This move, along with the shift towards longer wait times for permanent residency and a forced return to the person's home country once it is deemed safe, represents the largest overhaul of policy on asylum seekers in modern times.
Implications and Reactions
These policy changes have been met with resistance, with some backbenchers describing the planned immigration crackdown as economically and culturally illiterate
. However, Downing Street has warned Labour MPs that it expects them to back the changes.
Mahmood, who has reportedly had good conversations
with French interior ministers over plans to tackle the small boats crisis, says her proposals will change the calculus
of people getting on to small boats.
Current Status
Despite the fierce resistance expected, the UK government remains resolute in its plans to make the country less attractive to migrants and refugees. The proposed changes to the asylum and migration system will be set out by the Home Secretary on Monday. The officials have said that these will draw heavily on ideas used in Denmark, which has tight limits on family reunions and sends some refugees back if conditions improve in their home countries.