Refugees established in UK may have to return if home countries become safe

"Refugees who have established lives with homes and families in the UK including Ukrainians will still face having to return if their home countries become safe, the home secretary has said. Shabana Mahmood said the asylum system was out of control and putting huge pressure on communities as she announced plans to end the permanent status of refugees, who will need to reapply to remain in Britain every two and a half years."

"Mahmood will also announce on Monday that those granted asylum could be returned to their home countries when they are considered safe, a policy modelled on Denmark's controversial system. Refugees are currently given protection for five years, after which they can apply for indefinite leave to remain, which offers a pathway to British citizenship. Mahmood's changes will also include people who arrive illegally having to wait 20 years before they can apply for permanent settlement."

"She rejected accusations that in promoting the policies, the government was using the language of the far right. I am the child of migrants myself. My parents came to this country lawfully in the late 60s and in the 70s. Immigration is absolutely woven into my experience as a Brit and also that of thousands of my constituents, she said. This is a moral mission for me, because I can see illegal migration is tearing our country apart. It is dividing communities."

Proposals end automatic pathways from refugee protection to permanent settlement, requiring refugees to reapply to remain in Britain every two and a half years. The reforms would permit return of people granted asylum when their home countries are assessed as safe, using a model based on Denmark. Current rules grant five years of protection before eligibility for indefinite leave and a route to citizenship; new rules would extend the wait for permanent settlement to 20 years for people who arrive illegally, with that measure aimed at new arrivals. The reforms are presented as a response to perceived pressure on communities and a broken system.

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