UK Sets Out Tougher Asylum Plan, Curbing Support and Extending Route to Settlement
The Home Office says the overhaul is intended to make the country less attractive to irregular migrants.
Overview
- Ministers announced plans to remove automatic housing and cash support for asylum seekers who are allowed to work but choose not to or who break UK law.
- Refugee protection would shift from five years to 30 months, with returns required once a person’s home country is deemed safe.
- The pathway to permanent residence would lengthen from five to 20 years, reversing the current five‑year route to settlement and citizenship.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will set out fuller details in Parliament on Monday, with legislation to follow.
- Officials are exploring Denmark‑style temporary status and tighter family‑reunification rules, as asylum applications reach 111,000 to June and Channel crossings exceed 2024 levels alongside pressure from Reform UK.