Starmer moves to strip refugees of settlement and family rights

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
2 Oct 2025 11:50

Critics say Starmer’s asylum overhaul betrays Labour’s values, leaving refugees in limbo and families divided under tougher UK migration rules.

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Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives his keynote speech at the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP)

Refugees granted asylum in the UK will no longer be automatically entitled to settlement or family reunion, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce.

Starmer will outline the changes at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Copenhagen later today, where he will co-chair a session with fellow leaders on strategies to curb irregular migration. The EPC, which brings together 44 countries, was established following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the plans, refugees will no longer have an automatic right to bring their families to Britain.

On September 1, the government halted the family reunion programme while ministers considered new asylum rules, due to be finalized later this autumn. The route had previously allowed recognised refugees to sponsor close relatives to join them in the UK, without meeting the usual income thresholds or English language requirements attached to family visas.

Labour’s tougher migration agenda

The new policy marks a tougher line on asylum under Labour. Starmer is also expected to announce a £3 million partnership with Denmark aimed at tackling migration pressures in the Western Balkans. The initiative will encourage people to remain in the region and take up jobs locally rather than embarking on journeys to northern Europe.

The prime minister will use the summit to push for greater European cooperation on irregular migration, highlighting the need for coordinated responses across the continent.

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the Labour conference that the path to indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which grants people the right to settle, work, and study in the UK, would be extended beyond the current five years.

She said the timeline could stretch to around 10 years in some cases, depending on a person’s contribution to the UK, while others may qualify more quickly.

'No golden ticket' to settlement

Ahead of the EPC gathering, Starmer said Britain’s migration system must be based on fairness and responsibility:

“I believe that if you want to come to the UK, you should contribute to our society. That is the tolerant and fair approach to migration that our communities are built on, but the current system is not fit for purpose.”

He added that settlement should be “earned by contributing to our country, not by paying a people smuggler to cross the channel in a boat.”

“The UK will continue to play its role in welcoming genuine refugees fleeing persecution,” Starmer said.

“But we must also address the pull factors driving dangerous and illegal small boats crossings. There will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it,” he stressed.