UK Tightens Asylum Rules Amid Rising Migration Pressures
The UK government, led by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is overhauling asylum policies to drastically reduce protections and end automatic benefits for refugees. The reforms include halving the waiting period for permanent residency from five to two and five years, and extending the waiting time for illegal migrants to 20 years. These measures aim to address the record-high asylum claims, which have nearly doubled since 2021, and curb illegal migration.
Under the existing rules established in 2005, refugees in Britain received five years of status before they could apply for permanent residency, and eventually citizenship. Mahmood proposed to cut this initial period in half and introduce regular reviews to assess an individual’s eligibility for asylum. Those whose home countries are deemed safe might be instructed to return.
For refugees arriving illegally, the waiting period to apply for indefinite leave would be quadrupled to 20 years. “Illegal migration is tearing our country apart,” Mahmood stated. “If we don’t sort this out, I think our country becomes much more divided,” she added.
Asylum claims in Britain have reached a record high, with approximately 111,000 applications filed in the year to June 2025, according to government data. The number of claimants has almost doubled since 2021, as per a Home Office report.
Those who arrive legally would face a 10-year wait. The policy would allow skilled refugees to shorten the waiting time by entering “specific” work or study routes. “It will be essentially a system whereby the more you contribute, you can bring forward that period,” Mahmood said.
The overhaul would also end the statutory duty to provide support for asylum seekers. Refugees granted work permits would lose access to housing and weekly allowances, and support would be withdrawn for anyone who breaks the law.
Mahmood described the current system as “broken” and “unfair.” She has previously warned that the UK is losing control of its borders, stating last month that failing to restore order would erode trust in the state.
The changes come as support rises for the anti-immigration and EU-skeptical Reform Party, led by MP Nigel Farage. A September poll showed the party is backed by 35% of Britons, with Labour at 20% and the Conservatives at 17%.