UK to overhaul asylum system with major reductions in refugee rights

Britain will drastically reduce protections for refugees and end automatic benefits for asylum seekers, the Labour government announced late Saturday, outlining new measures aimed at curbing irregular immigration and responding to gains made by the hard right. The changes, modelled on Denmark’s strict asylum framework, come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces growing pressure from the rising popularity of the anti-immigrant Reform UK party.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood declared that she would “end the UK’s golden ticket for asylum seekers." However, the head of the Refugee Council warned that the plans would not dissuade people from attempting to reach Britain and called for a reassessment.

Currently, refugees granted status receive protection for five years before being allowed to apply for indefinite leave to remain and eventually citizenship. Mahmood’s Home Office said this period would be cut to 30 months. The protection will be “regularly reviewed”, and refugees will be required to return to their home countries once they are deemed safe. The ministry also stated that refugees would need to wait 20 years before applying to live long-term in the UK, compared with five years at present.

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Asylum claims in Britain are at record levels, with some 111000 applications filed in the year to June 2025, according to official data.

Benefits revoked and Danish model adopted

The Home Office described the plans, due to be presented in parliament on Monday, as the “largest overhaul of asylum policy in modern times”. The reforms aim to make Britain less attractive to irregular migrants and streamline the removal of those already in the country.

A statutory requirement introduced in 2005 to provide support to asylum seekers will be revoked, ending guaranteed housing and weekly financial allowances. Support will instead become discretionary, allowing the government to refuse assistance to asylum seekers who could work or support themselves but do not, as well as to those who commit crimes.

Starmer, elected last summer, is under pressure to halt small boat crossings of the English Channel from France, a persistent issue for previous Conservative governments. More than 39000 people have arrived this year via such journeys, exceeding the total for 2024 though remaining below the 2022 record.

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Labour has drawn inspiration from Denmark’s coalition government, led by the centre-left Social Democrats, which enforces some of Europe’s strictest migration policies. Senior British officials have visited Denmark, where successful asylum claims are at a 40-year low. Denmark grants refugees a one-year renewable residency permit and encourages returns once safety concerns ease. Family reunions also face strict requirements, including minimum ages, language assessments and financial guarantees.

Mahmood is expected to announce tougher rules on family reunions in the UK. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, urged the government to reconsider the proposals, saying they “will not deter” the crossings. He added that refugees who work and contribute should be able to build stable lives.

Labour’s more left-wing MPs are likely to oppose the plans, fearing the party may lose voters to progressive rivals such as the Greens.

(With agency inputs)