UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled plans to scrap automatic permanent protection for refugees, replacing it with a temporary status that must be renewed every 2.5 years.
Under the new rules, individuals granted refugee status will initially receive protection for just 30 months (2.5 years), rather than the current five-year period that often leads to indefinite leave to remain. Their cases will then be reviewed periodically, and protection can be revoked if their home country is later deemed safe for return.
Permanent settlement, the pathway to full rights, including unrestricted work and benefits, will now take up to 20 years.
Reasons For Changes
Mahmood, speaking in the House of Commons earlier this week, argued the changes are essential to restore public confidence in a system she called “out of control and unfair”.
She highlighted that over 400,000 people have claimed asylum in the UK in the past four years, with more than 100,000 currently in taxpayer-funded accommodation, while small-boat crossings across the English Channel topped 39,000 in 2025 alone.
“The era of permanent sanctuary leading quickly to settlement is over, We will provide protection until it is safe to return home – no more, no less.” She declared.
The policy draws heavy inspiration from Denmark’s centre-left Social Democrat government, which has implemented one of Europe’s toughest asylum regimes.
There, refugees receive short-term permits (typically one to two years) that require reapplication, family reunion is heavily restricted, and returns are enforced when conditions improve in origin countries. UK officials recently visited Copenhagen to study the model, which has driven Danish asylum claims to a 40-year low while boosting the governing party’s popularity against far-right challengers.
Key Elements of the Reforms
Temporary Protection: Initial grant reduced to 2.5 years; reviewed every 30 months thereafter.
Revocation on Safety: Refugees must return home if their country conditions improve (e.g., potential returns to Syria, Albania, or other nations).
20-Year Path to Settlement: Skilled or working refugees may qualify earlier via a new “work and study” visa route.
End to Guaranteed Support: Statutory duty to house and fund destitute asylum seekers scrapped; those able to work but refusing may lose benefits.
Faster Removals: Including families with failed claims; visa bans threatened on uncooperative countries like Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Capped Safe Routes: New legal pathways (starting at “a few hundred” per year) prioritising UNHCR referrals and community sponsorship.
