Permanent asylum in the UK is set to be scrapped with most migrants only granted “temporary stays” until their home countries are safe to return to.
Shabana Mahmood will announce a radical overhaul of the asylum system, inspired by reforms in Denmark, on Monday.
Under the plans, most successful asylum seekers will only be able to stay in the UK temporarily, and face being returned back to their home country when it is deemed safe.
Ms Mahmood is also expected to introduce greater restrictions on refugees bringing family members to the UK. Under Denmark’s system, refugees have to be at least aged 24 before they can apply for their partners to join them.
In Denmark, refugees are given temporary residence permits, typically of two years, and there is no guarantee of getting a permanent visa. In order to stay in Denmark permanently, refugees have to show that they can speak Danish and have held a job for at least three years. Refugees also risk losing their residency if they visit their home country.
The home secretary is reportedly expected to challenge MPs to the left of her party on Monday, warning: “if you don’t like this, you won’t like what follows me”. The government is under pressure to go further to bring down levels of immigration due to the political threat from Reform UK.
Ms Mahmood said on Friday that she would be announcing the “most significant changes to our asylum system in modern times”.
In a video posted to X/Twitter, she said: “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.”
Under the current system, migrants who are granted refugee status get a five-year period of leave to remain in the UK and they can then apply to stay indefinitely. Once they have indefinite leave to remain, they can then apply for British citizenship.
The home secretary announced in September that asylum seekers will have to “earn” their right to remain in the UK. Migrants who want to remain in the UK will have to learn English to a high standard, have a clean criminal record and volunteer in the community to be eligible for indefinite leave to remain.
They will also have to be working, paying national insurance and not be claiming benefits under the proposed changes.
More than 300 charities and voluntary organisations warned Ms Mahmood on Friday against “making volunteering compulsory”. In an open letter, coordinated by Asylum Matters, Focus on Labour Exploitation and Praxis, charities said: “We will not work with coerced volunteers. We will not report to the Home Office on the time people give freely, to us and to their communities.”
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, hit back at suggestions that asylum seekers came to the UK because they were attracted by government support. He said: “Refugees don’t compare asylum systems before running for their lives. They come to the UK because they already have family here, speak some English or have long-standing ties that help them rebuild their lives in safety.
“In reality, people in that situation will often be unable to safely return after only a few years. Attempts to deter people by reducing their rights once they arrive have been tried many times by previous governments and simply haven’t worked. They don’t stop dangerous journeys; they just create more uncertainty and keep families apart.”
Minnie Rahman, CEO of refugee charity Praxis, added: “Stripping migrants of basic human rights isn’t ‘reform’ – it’s the first step down a very dangerous slope, especially with parties holding extreme views on migration circling the next election. Today it’s migrants. Tomorrow it’s anyone who becomes politically inconvenient”.
Labour has paused refugees’ ability to apply to bring their family members to the UK, suspending the legal visa route. Charities, including the British Red Cross, criticised the move and warned that it may fuel more dangerous Channel crossings.
