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Britain has said that it will make the status of refugees temporary and the waiting period for permanent settlement will be spread over 20 years under the country’s policy in buying more from ASYLLOM OFNITS in modern times.
The Labor government has been toughening its immigration policies, above all cracking down on illegal boats from France, in an effort to reverse the party’s growing popularity in the UK.
The government said it would take inspiration from Denmark’s approach. Its policy has been widely criticized by rights groups and is one of the toughest in Europe – where it has led to anti-immigrant sentiment in many countries.
As part of the changes, the statutory duty to support asylum seekers, including housing and weekly allowances, will be scrapped, the Home Office (Home Office) said in a statement late on Saturday.
The department, headed by Shabana Mahmood, said these measures will apply to asylum seekers who can work but choose not to and those who break the law. It means that taxpayer-funded support will be prioritized for those who contribute to the economy and local communities.
The home office also said refugee protection would be “temporary, regularly reviewed and withdrawn” if the home country was deemed safe.
“Our system is particularly generous compared to other countries in Europe, where, after five years, you are automatically settled in this country. We will change that,” Mahmood told Sky News on Sunday.
He added that under the changes, the status of refugees will be reviewed every 2½ years, during the ‘very long process of obtaining permanent residence in this country. “
Mahmood said he will provide more details of the change on Monday, including the declaration in Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
The government has said that it wants to stay in European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) but change the way in which article 8, which covers the right to family life, is interpreted.
Mahmood said it was “used in a way designed to frustrate the removal of those who, under our immigration laws, would not have a right to be in this country.”
The government’s hardline approach has drawn criticism. More than 100 British organizations wrote to MahMmood urging him to “end the migrant scam and policies that only do harm,” saying such measures are racially damaging and violent.
Polls suggest anger has hit the economy as Britain’s top contributor. In the summer, protests take place outside hotels and houses that seek shelter in public areas.
A total of 109,343 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending March 2025, a 17 per cent increase on the previous year and six per cent more than 102,081.
Mahmood said the government would look for “safe and legal” ways to seek asylum, as he believed Britain should play its part in helping those fleeing the country.
I want European countries
The home office said that its reforms could be considered “similar and in some areas surpassing” the standards in Denmark and other European countries, support is temporary and social integration is expected.
Asylum seekers are granted short-term residence permits under the Danish system, usually for two years, and must reapply when they expire. They can be sent back if their home country is deemed safe, and the path to citizenship is also expanded.
The home office said Denmark’s banned warming policies had cut asylum claims to a 40-year low and resulted in the deportation of 95 percent of rejected applicants.
Denmark’s reforms, implemented while still a signatory to the ECHR, have drawn sharp criticism. Rights groups say the measures foster a hostile climate for migrants, undermine protections and leave asylum seekers in a long limbo.
The British refugee council said to X that refugees do not compare the Asylum systems while fleeing danger, and that they come to the UK because of family ties, some information that helps them start safely.
