LONDON – UK remains among top priorities for immigrants seeking asylum, but new government policies are set to drastically limit their rights.
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to end permanent residency, grant only temporary stays, and tighten family reunification rules, sparking widespread concern among refugee organizations.
Keir Starmer led government is working to abolish permanent asylum and replace it with a system of temporary residence, under which most immigrants will only be allowed to stay until it is deemed safe for them to return home.
Under the proposed plan, even those asylum seekers whose applications are approved will be granted temporary residency only, with deportation inevitable once their home country is classified as safe. It will be harder for asylum seekers to bring spouses and children to the UK.
Some other EU nations also grant asylum seekers limited permits with no permanent residency. To qualify for permanent residency, applicants must demonstrate language proficiency and three years of employment. Visiting one’s home country can lead to the immediate cancellation of temporary residency.
UK government faces pressure to cut immigration, particularly after the “Reform UK” policy became a political lightning rod. Mahmood told reporters Friday that the upcoming measures represent “the biggest changes to our asylum system in the modern era.”
The government is serious to return people who have no right to be in the nation. Currently, asylum seekers in the UK are granted five-year residency, after which they can apply for permanent residence and eventually British citizenship.
Labour government suspended the legal route for family reunification, drawing criticism from groups including the British Red Cross, who warned this could drive desperate people toward perilous English Channel crossings.
With UK poised to implement the harshest asylum policies in recent times, critics argue that these measures may exacerbate human suffering while doing little to stem migration.
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