UK to Slash Refugee Protections in Major Asylum Overhaul

Labour government unveils far-reaching asylum changes

Britain's Labour government announced late Saturday a sweeping overhaul of its asylum system that would sharply reduce refugee protections and end the automatic provision of housing and weekly payments for people seeking asylum. The measures, modelled on Denmark's strict approach, are part of a bid to curb irregular migration and blunt the appeal of hard-right parties as cross-Channel arrivals surge.

I'll end the UK's golden ticket for asylum seekers, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said in a statement.

The Home Office says the package — described as the "largest overhaul of asylum policy in modern times" — will make it less attractive to arrive in Britain irregularly and make it easier to remove those without entitlement to stay. Mahmood is due to set out the proposals in Parliament on Monday.

Key changes

• Shorter initial protection: Refugee status would be cut from the current five years to 30 months, after which protection would be subject to regular review and refugees could be expected to return once officials judge it safe.
• Long-term settlement delayed: People granted asylum would generally have to wait 20 years before applying for long-term settlement, up from the present five years.
• Benefits no longer guaranteed: A statutory duty introduced by a 2005 law to provide support to asylum seekers would be revoked, making housing and weekly financial support discretionary rather than guaranteed.
• Family reunion rules: The government plans to tighten rules on family reunification, drawing on Denmark's stricter requirements such as minimum ages and proof of means.

Context and reaction

Asylum claims in Britain reached a record high, with about 111,000 applications in the year to June 2025, and more than 39,000 people have arrived this year via dangerous small-boat crossings. Those arrivals have helped fuel support for the anti-immigration Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage, putting pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The reforms take clear inspiration from Denmark, where officials recently received British visitors and where asylum grants are at a decades-low. In Denmark, refugees typically receive a one-year renewable permit and face strict conditions on family reunification and encouragement to return when conditions improve at home.

Charities and refugee advocates warned the changes are unlikely to deter people from making dangerous journeys and urged the government to allow refugees who contribute to society to build secure lives. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the measures "will not deter" crossings and called for policies that enable people who work and contribute to settle and give back to their communities.

Some Labour MPs on the party's left are expected to oppose the proposals, raising internal tensions as the party seeks to balance electoral pressures with humanitarian and legal obligations.

What happens next

Mahmood is expected to lay the full proposals before Parliament on Monday. If the measures progress, they are likely to prompt legal and political debate about the UK's international obligations, capacity to remove people, and the practical impact on refugees and asylum seekers already in the country.