Britain to announce ‘most significant’ change to asylum rules in years, setting Europe’s longest route to settlement

By Laura Sharman, CNN

(CNN) — Britain has announced plans to carry out the most significant reform of its asylum seeker policies in years, overhauling immigration rules in response to surging anti-immigrant sentiment and challenges from right-wing parties.

The new policy, which will be unveiled by the ruling Labour government in full on Monday, is partially modeled on Denmark’s approach, which has one of Europe’s toughest rules for refugees.

Labour has been hardening its immigration policies, particularly on illegal small-boat crossings from France, to counter the rising populist Reform UK party which advocates for “freezing immigration” and “stopping the boats.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce an end to permanent protection for refugees and cuts to living allowances among a series of reforms designed to make Britain less attractive to illegal migrants.

“On Monday, I will announce the most significant changes to our asylum system in modern times,” Mahmood said in a video posted on X.

“We need to reduce the numbers coming here illegally. We need to remove more people who have no right to be here. We will always be a country that gives sanctuary to those fleeing danger, but we must restore order and control.”

Mahmood previewed her overhaul in an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, detailing some of the key changes the Labour government plans to enact.

They include forcing people arriving illegally to wait 20 years before they can apply for permanent settlement, as well as making refugee status temporary, with applicants reviewed every 30 months and those whose countries are deemed safe made to return. Those who arrive legally will face a ten-year pathway to permanent settlement, double the current wait.

Mahmood warned of a “more divided” nation if the UK does not tackle the rising number of illegal migrants arriving in Britain.

“I can see — and I know my colleagues can — that illegal migration is tearing our country apart. It’s our job as a Labour government to unite our country,” she told the Sunday Times.

Labour, a center-left party, has found itself pressured on all sides of the political divide when it comes to immigration.

Britain’s left tends to favor a more compassionate response to immigration and asylum whereas its right tends to advocate for immigration reductions and crackdowns. Mahmood, who is herself the daughter of immigrants from the Pakistani side of Kashmir, may face difficulty selling the policy to some more progressive members of her own party.

But the rise of the populist Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, has set the terms of Britain’s political debate, hounding the Labour government over its struggles to control illegal immigration, while public anger – and far-right marches – have risen in parts of the country over housing and public funds for refugees.

The UK’s previous Conservative government sought to tackle the issue by passing a contentious bill allowing the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda for their claims to be processed by the East African nation.

Mahmood said £700 million ($920 million) was spent on the deal which saw only four people deported, and they were all volunteers.

The Denmark model

The UK’s new policy draws inspiration from Denmark and other European countries where refugee status is temporary, support is conditional and integration is expected.

“The UK will now match and in some areas exceed these standards,” the Home Office said in a statement.

Under Britain’s current system, which was introduced by a previous Labour government in 2005, refugees can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years, a status which provides them access to public funds and eventual citizenship.

In contrast, the new 20-year route would make the UK’s path the settlement the longest in Europe, followed by Denmark’s eight-year process.

Denmark has been known for its tough immigration policies for over a decade, which the Home Office says have reduced asylum claims to a 40-year low and resulted in the removal of 95% of rejected applicants.

However, its reforms have drawn significant criticism, with rights groups saying the measures foster a hostile climate for migrants, undermine protection and leave asylum seekers in prolonged uncertainty.

Earlier this year, a UK delegation of senior Home Office officials visited the capital of Copenhagen to study Denmark’s approach to asylum, Reuters reported.

There, migrants are only granted temporary residence permits, usually for two years, and must reapply when these expire.

In her video address on X, Mahmood said that asylum claims are rising in Britain despite falling across other parts of Europe.

“In the last four years, 400,000 people claimed asylum here,” she said. “Over 100,000 are housed and supported at taxpayers’ expense, putting huge pressure on local communities.”

Britain’s Refugee Council criticized the new policy announcement.

“People who have been persecuted, tortured or seen family members killed in brutal wars are not ‘asylum shopping’… refugees don’t compare asylum systems before running for their lives,” the group wrote on X.

“We know why people come to the UK: because they already have family here, they speak some English, or they have long-standing ties that help them rebuild their lives in safety,” the group added.

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