Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that refugee status will now be granted for a period of 30 months instead of the current 5 years. According to Mahmood, the protection provided will be subject to regular review, and refugees will be required to return to their home countries as soon as the situation becomes safe.
The legal obligation to provide housing and weekly payments to some asylum seekers will also be abolished. Such assistance will now be provided at the discretion of the authorities and may be terminated in the event of offenses committed by the applicants.
Shabana Mahmood noted that the UK takes pride in its tradition of welcoming people fleeing danger; however, this kindness contributes to the influx of illegal migrants.
She emphasized that many migrants cross Europe through safe countries and then attempt to reach the UK via the English Channel.
Those who receive asylum in the country will have to wait two decades before they can apply for permanent residency. An announcement regarding the new measures is expected on November 17. At the same time, more than 100 organizations in the UK have appealed to Shabana Mahmood, urging her to stop "looking for scapegoats" and expressing the opinion that the new measures only exacerbate the situation. The British Refugee Council emphasized that migrants choose the UK not because of comparative advantages in asylum systems, but due to family ties and language skills.
According to data, 109,343 asylum applications were submitted in the UK in the 12 months leading up to March 2025, which is a 17% increase compared to the previous year.
