Overview
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to make refugee protection temporary, with status cut to about 30 months and reviewed regularly, allowing returns when home countries are judged safe.
- People granted asylum after irregular entry would have to wait 20 years before applying for permanent settlement, replacing today’s five-year route.
- The government plans to revoke the statutory duty to guarantee housing and weekly allowances, making support discretionary for those who can work, hold assets or break the law.
- The package draws on Denmark’s approach and will be presented to Parliament on Monday, with further detail expected on tighter family reunion rules and the application of ECHR Article 8.
- Ministers cite record asylum pressures and more than 39,000 small‑boat arrivals this year, while charities and some Labour MPs argue the measures are harsh and unlikely to deter crossings.