The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has today announced the start of sweeping reforms to the UK’s asylum system, originally outlined in November last year.
In a written statement to Parliament, the Home Secretary described the changes as part of a “firm but fair approach”, aimed at reducing what the Government considers “pull factors” in the current asylum system. The reforms are intended to ensure that protection is granted only for as long as it is genuinely needed.
A formal statement of changes to the Immigration Rules giving effect to these reforms is expected shortly. Reports indicate that the Government plans to lay these changes before Parliament on Thursday.
At the heart of the reforms is the introduction of a new “core protection” model. Under this system, adults and accompanied children granted refugee status will receive an initial period of 30 months’ leave, replacing the current five-year grant. At the end of this period, protection will be reviewed and renewed only where a continuing need for sanctuary is established. Those whose protection is not renewed will be expected to return to their country of origin if it is deemed safe. The Home Secretary described this as a fundamental shift from a system that previously offered a relatively fast track to permanent settlement.
The new rules apply to all new asylum claims made from today, while transitional arrangements will ensure that existing claims continue under the current framework. Unaccompanied children, however, will still receive five years’ leave until further policy decisions are made.
Refugees wishing to remain in the UK long-term will be encouraged to move onto alternative immigration routes, including new work and study visas designed to support integration and economic contribution. Family reunion arrangements will be tightened, with eligibility linked to these alternative routes and subject to financial and integration requirements. Under the core protection system, settlement will generally require 20 years of residence, significantly longer than before.
The reforms have drawn widespread criticism from refugee and migrant groups. Migrant Voice described the policy as “disgusting … cruel and inhumane.” Praxis called it “inhumane cruelty” that would trap refugees in insecurity and fear. Asylum Matters called it “a dark day for anyone who believes in sanctuary in the UK,” highlighting the plight of people fleeing war and torture. GMIAU denounced the changes as the “biggest attack on the rights of recognised refugees in recent memory,” and Refugee Action criticised it as “another divisive, scapegoating policy that tears at our communities and solves nothing.”
A full copy of the Home Secretary’s written statement is available for reference.
Asylum changes
Statement made on 2 March 2026
Statement UIN HCWS1373
Shabana Mahmood
The Secretary of State for the Home Department
Statement
This country will always provide sanctuary to those fleeing war and persecution. But we must also ensure our asylum system is not creating pull factors that draw people on dangerous journeys across the world, fuelling and funding the human traffickers.
Genuine refugees will find safety in Britain, but we must also reduce the incentives that draw people here at such scale, including those without a legitimate need for protection. So, once a refugee’s home is safe and they are able to return, they will be expected to do so.
This is a firm but fair approach, restoring order and control of Britain’s borders, while protecting those fleeing war and repression.
Last November, as part of the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration since the Second World War, this government announced that refugee protection would become temporary. At the same time, refugees who wish to stay in Britain and have skills will be able to apply for new work and study visas, helping them integrate with and contribute to society.
Britain will also open new, safe and legal routes, with community sponsorship becoming the new norm. The entire approach is designed to shift the asylum system in Britain away from dangerous, illegal crossings, and high levels of applications from those without legitimate asylum claims.
Under these changes, adults and accompanied children claiming asylum from today will receive a 30-month period of protection, if granted. At a 30-month review, refugees with a continuing need of sanctuary will have their protection renewed, while those whose countries are now deemed safe will be expected to return home.
Under the previous system, refugees were granted 5 years of protection and allowed to bring their families – followed by near-automatic, fee-free permanent settlement with continued access to benefits and housing. This was amongst the most generous offers to refugees in any country in Western Europe. This has become a pull-factor that has seen asylum claims in Britain rise steeply, including tens of thousands of illegitimate claims each year, as they fall across the rest of the continent.
Refugees under the reformed system will need to renew their permission to stay or apply for a legal visa route. Family reunion remains paused while new rules are designed that bring financial and integration requirements in line with those expected of British citizens.
The reset in Britain’s asylum offer, inspired by Denmark’s success, will encourage those wishing to build a life in the UK to do so via legal routes and reduce the pull factors driving illegal migration. The first step towards a new, ‘core protection’ system will be introduced through a change to the Immigration Rules later this week.
While Denmark was cutting asylum claims to a 40-year low, the UK saw a 13% increase in the year to September 2025. Across the EU, applications fell by 22% over the same period.
Since 2015, Denmark has made refugee status temporary – subject to review every 2 years – introduced restrictions on family reunion and increased the wait for permanent settlement to 8 years, subject to strict integration and employment requirements.
Under reforms announced last autumn, refugees in the UK will have to wait 20 years for settlement, unless they switch to a legal visa route, as part of the “core protection” model.
New routes will be created as an alternative to “core protection” for those who can contribute through work or study, encouraging use of the legal migration system and contributing to better social cohesion. Further details of these will be set out in future Immigration Rules changes.
Unaccompanied children will continue to receive 5 years’ leave, while the Government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group. Further details will be set out in due course.
Robust age assessment measures are already in place to root out false claims by migrants claiming to be under 18. AI technology currently being tested will strengthen this further.
There will be transitional provisions for people who submitted an asylum claim before today, so that existing rules continue to apply.
LawSentis View:
LawSentis recognises that the Government’s new “core protection” model represents a major shift in the UK’s asylum policy, introducing shorter initial leave and stricter pathways to settlement. While the stated aim is to manage the asylum system more tightly, these changes raise concerns about the long-term security of refugees and the potential challenges in accessing family reunification and integration pathways. Refugees, particularly those fleeing conflict and persecution, may face prolonged uncertainty and limited opportunities to rebuild their lives.
LawSentis will continue to monitor these changes closely and provide guidance to clients navigating the new system, ensuring that all legal options and alternative immigration routes are clearly explained.