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Under the new plan, the waiting period for indefinite leave to remain will increase from five to twenty years, and asylum applicants may face the risk of losing their assets.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood defended the proposal, calling it “the most radical set of changes to our asylum system in a generation” and arguing that the UK must “restore order and control over our borders, while still offering protection to those fleeing danger.”

The reform responds to a record number of asylum applications: around 111,000 claims were filed in the year up to June 2025, while more than 50,000 cases remained unresolved. “We have become the number one destination in Europe for every people smuggler and illegal migrant around the world,” Mahmood added.

Alongside the tougher rules, the government announced a stricter approach to rejected applications: “Once an asylum claim is refused, we will enforce that decision far more decisively,” the minister stressed.

Long waits and new support mechanisms

Under the proposed rules, refugees will need to renew their protection status every 2.5 years, while authorities assess whether their country of origin has become safe. Permanent residence will only be available after two decades — a fourfold increase compared to the current five-year pathway.

“In practice, this means people will spend twenty years of their lives in uncertainty, living with the fear of being sent back to a country where they were once deemed at risk of persecution,” warns Sonia Lenegan, an immigration lawyer.

The government also plans to revise refugee benefits and introduce a “contribution mechanism”, requiring migrants with assets or income to help cover the cost of support.

“The government should be ashamed. Instead of standing up to anti-migrant hatred, it is laying the groundwork for the far right,” argues Labour MP Nadia Whittome.

Legal routes remain limited and slow

Despite the stricter approach, UK authorities insist that safe and legal routes for refugees will be expanded, including community sponsorship programmes and initiatives aimed at students and skilled migrants.

Migration remains one of the most influential issues for British voters, especially amid the sharp rise in arrivals by small boats since Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office. In the first half of 2025, the number of such crossings was roughly 50% higher than in the same period in 2024.

Still, while ministers highlight the UK’s high volume of asylum claims, government data shows that in the year up to March, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy all processed more applications than the UK.

People seeking asylum typically flee war, persecution, or human rights abuses and apply for international protection in another country. Recognition as a refugee allows them to stay, although access to permanent residence depends on national rules — rules that in the UK may soon look very different.

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