The Labour government in Britain announced sweeping plans on Saturday to drastically reduce protections for refugees as part of the largest overhaul of its asylum system in modern times. The move comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure over irregular migration and the soaring popularity of the hard-right Reform party.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood declared the intention to “end UK’s golden ticket for asylum seekers.”
Key Changes to Refugee Status
The Home Office announced measures aimed at limiting the time refugees can remain in the UK and significantly extending the waiting period for permanent residency.
| Current Policy | New Policy | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Duration of Refugee Status: 5 years | Duration of Refugee Status: Cut to 30 months | Protection will be “regularly reviewed,” forcing refugees to return home once their country is deemed safe. |
| Eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR): 5 years | Eligibility for ILR/Citizenship: Extended to 20 years | Refugees will face a much longer wait before being allowed to live in the UK permanently. |
The Home Office is calling these proposals the “largest overhaul of asylum policy in modern times.”
Political Context and Migration Crisis
Starmer, elected last summer, is under intense pressure to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats from France. This year, more than 39,000 people have arrived following such dangerous journeys—a number higher than the total recorded for the whole of 2024.
The ongoing crossings are contributing to the rise in popularity of the Reform party, led by firebrand Nigel Farage, which has led Labour by double-digit margins in opinion polls for most of this year.
Asylum claims in Britain are at a record high, with some 111,000 applications made in the year leading up to June 2025, according to official figures. The new policy is a direct attempt by the Labour government to address these pressures and counter the political threat from the right.
Source: Reuters
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