The United Kingdom is poised for its most sweeping overhaul of asylum and migration policy in decades, as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood prepares to unveil a raft of reforms aimed at tightening the country’s borders, expediting deportations, and transforming the path to permanent residency for refugees. The proposals, which have sparked fierce debate across the political spectrum, come amid mounting public pressure, record asylum claims, and a backlog of tens of thousands of unresolved cases.
Speaking to the BBC on November 17, 2025, Mahmood did not mince words about the current state of affairs. "This is a moral mission for me, because I can see illegal migration is tearing our country apart, it is dividing communities," she said. Mahmood described the asylum system as "not working" and placing "intense strain on communities," a sentiment echoed by many in recent months as protests flared outside hotels housing asylum seekers and anti-immigration marches swept through London.
The centerpiece of the government’s plan is a dramatic shift from the long-standing policy of granting refugees a path to permanent settlement after five years. Under the new rules, successful asylum seekers will have to wait up to 20 years before applying for indefinite leave to remain. In the interim, they will be subject to rolling reviews every 30 months—two and a half years—to determine whether conditions in their home country have improved sufficiently for a safe return. The government insists these measures are necessary to restore public faith in the system and maintain the UK’s tradition of offering sanctuary to those in genuine need.
For many, however, the proposed changes raise serious concerns. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, warned that the 20-year path to citizenship would "leave people in limbo and experiencing intense anxiety for many, many years." He told BBC Breakfast, "We need a system that is controlled and is fair, and the way you do that is you make decisions fairly, in a timely fashion, and if someone is found to be a refugee, they go on and they contribute to our communities and they pay back."
The reforms do not stop at settlement timelines. The government plans to repeal its legal duty to provide accommodation and basic financial support to all asylum seekers. Those deemed able to work and support themselves, as well as individuals committing offenses, ignoring removal orders, or working illegally, will see their state benefits withdrawn. Currently, asylum seekers may apply for permission to work if their claim has been outstanding for more than a year and the delay is not their fault. The proposed changes would also allow the government to seize possessions and savings—excluding sentimental items like wedding rings—to cover accommodation costs, a move inspired by similar policies in Denmark.
On the legal front, the government intends to overhaul how human rights legislation, particularly Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), is applied. Only those with immediate family in the UK, such as a parent or child, will be able to use Article 8 as grounds to stay. The government also plans to join other countries in reforming Article 3 of the ECHR, which protects against inhuman or degrading treatment, arguing that it has been used to block deportations of serious criminals on the basis of healthcare needs.
Fast-tracking deportations is another pillar of the reforms. The appeals system will be streamlined so that asylum seekers can argue their case only once; if their appeal fails, they will be deported. The Home Office is looking to create an independent body, modeled after Denmark, to expedite the removal of foreign criminals and cases with little prospect of success. The government believes this will help clear the current appeals backlog, which stands at over 50,000, with waiting times of at least a year. Asylum claims themselves have reached record highs, with around 111,000 applications in the year to June 2025, according to official figures cited by BBC News.
Notably, the government is also threatening to refuse visa applications from Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo unless these countries improve their cooperation on deportations. A Home Office source explained that these nations were targeted due to "unacceptably low cooperation and obstructive returns processes." The department stated that restrictions would apply "unless they agree to accept the return of their criminals and irregular migrants."
Artificial intelligence is set to play a role in the new system as well. The government plans to introduce AI-based assessments to determine the age of people arriving without documentation, aiming to prevent adults from being placed in children’s services and vice versa. Yet, rights groups have sounded alarms about the potential for bias and inaccuracy. Earlier this year, Enver Solomon told the BBC he was "not convinced" that using AI tools was the right approach, citing concerns about children being put in unsafe situations and questioning the technology’s accuracy and fairness.
Despite the government’s focus on small-boat crossings from France, official data shows that in 2024 only 36,816 people arrived in the UK by this route, making up roughly one-third of the 108,138 asylum claims that year. Most asylum seekers used formal channels, with the overall net migration figure dropping from 906,000 in the year to June 2023 to 431,000 in 2024, largely due to fewer healthcare and student visas being issued.
The reforms have drawn fire from across the political spectrum. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the plans "a small step in the right direction" but argued they did not go far enough, urging the government to consider leaving the ECHR altogether. Labour MP Tony Vaughn, an immigration barrister, agreed that action was needed but opposed the idea of temporary asylum "on principle," warning it would create "limbo and alienation." Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described Mahmood as sounding "like a Reform supporter," but doubted the proposals would be enacted, citing opposition from the Human Rights Act, ECHR, and government backbenchers. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson urged the government to "focus on processing claims quickly, getting them right first time, and swiftly deporting people with no right to be here."
Some groups, including Amnesty International, have called for expanded legal avenues for asylum, such as resettlement schemes, family reunification, and community sponsorship, to reduce dangerous Channel crossings and combat people smuggling. The government has signaled plans to introduce new "safe and legal" routes, including community sponsorship programs modeled after the successful Homes for Ukraine initiative.
Ukrainian refugees, for now, will continue to be admitted under a bespoke scheme, granting them the right to live in the UK for up to three years with access to healthcare, education, and benefits. They are largely exempt from the new 20-year settlement rules, and Mahmood has stressed that many Ukrainians have expressed a desire to return home once the war ends. Likewise, vulnerable Afghans and Hong Kong British National Overseas status holders benefit from special pathways to residence and citizenship.
With Parliament set to debate the proposals, the coming weeks will determine the fate of one of Britain’s most contentious policy areas. As the country grapples with its identity, humanitarian obligations, and the demands of public order, the outcome of this reform effort will reverberate for years to come.
