People granted asylum in the UK will have to wait 20 years before they can apply to settle permanently, under plans due to be announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday, the BBC reported on Sunday.
The major shake-up to asylum policy comes as the government seeks to reduce small boat crossings and asylum claims.
Under the plans, people who are granted asylum will only be allowed to stay in the UK temporarily, with their refugee status regularly reviewed and those whose home countries are then deemed safe told to return.
Currently refugee status lasts for five years, after which people can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Now the home secretary wants to cut the initial period from five years to two-and-a-half years, after which refugee status will be regularly reviewed.
But she plans to significantly lengthen the time it will take to gain permanent residence in the UK from five years to 20.
A total of 109,343 people claimed asylum in the UK in the 12 months to March this year, a 17 per cent increase on the year before, according to government data.
More than 39,000 people have arrived in the UK by small boats in 2025. The number of arrivals this year is higher than the whole of 2024 (36,816) and 2023 (29,437), but below the total at this point in 2022 (39,929).
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