UK Announces Major Plan to Scale Back Refugee Protections Amid Migration Pressure

The United Kingdom is set to significantly reduce protections for refugees as part of a sweeping overhaul of its asylum policies, the Labour government announced on Saturday.

The move comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces intensifying political pressure over rising irregular migration and increasing public support for the hard-right Reform party.

“I’ll end the UK’s golden ticket for asylum seekers,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said in a statement unveiling the new measures.

Currently, individuals granted refugee status receive five years of protection, after which they may apply for indefinite leave to remain and, eventually, citizenship. Under the proposed reforms, the Home Office said refugee status will be cut to 30 months and made subject to “regular review.” Refugees will also be required to return to their countries of origin once they are considered safe.

Additionally, refugees who are granted asylum will now have to wait 20 years before becoming eligible to apply for long-term residency — a dramatic increase from the current five-year pathway.

The Home Office described the planned changes as the “largest overhaul of asylum policy in modern times.”

Starmer’s administration, elected last summer, has struggled with the persistent issue of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats from France — a challenge that also dogged previous Conservative governments.

More than 39,000 people fleeing conflict and hardship have made the dangerous journey so far this year — already surpassing the total for all of 2024, although still below the 2022 peak.

These rising numbers have helped drive support for Nigel Farage’s Reform party, which has led Labour by double digits in several polls throughout the year.

Asylum claims have also reached historic levels, with around 111,000 applications submitted in the year leading to June 2025, according to official data.

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