The UK Labour government has unveiled a sweeping asylum policy overhaul, announcing that refugee status will now be temporary and the route to permanent settlement will be significantly extended.

The plan, which represents one of the most extensive shifts in UK asylum law in recent decades, is part of broader efforts to tighten immigration controls amid rising public concern and political pressure from the populist Reform UK party.

According to a statement issued late Saturday by the Home Office, the reforms will end the statutory duty to provide housing and weekly financial allowances to certain asylum seekers. The department said the changes will apply to those who are able to work but choose not to and to those who break the law.

The Home Office said refugee protections would “now be temporary, regularly reviewed and revoked” if the individual’s home country is deemed safe.

Shabana Mahmood, the minister leading the department, said in an interview for Sky News, “Our system is particularly generous compared to other countries in Europe, where, after five years, you're effectively automatically settled in this country. We will change that.”

She explained that under the new system, refugee status would be reviewed every two-and-a-half years, and that the path to permanent settlement would extend to 20 years.

Read more: 50+ child asylum seekers still missing from Kent Center

Denmark’s model inspires UK immigration reforms

The government said it is drawing inspiration from Denmark’s asylum model, which is regarded as one of the strictest in Europe. In Denmark, asylum seekers are typically granted temporary residence for two years, with renewals required and repatriation possible if their home country is considered safe.

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According to the Home Office, Denmark’s approach has helped reduce asylum claims to a 40-year low and led to the deportation of 95% of rejected applicants.

The UK government said its own reforms would aim to “match and in some areas exceed” Denmark’s standards.

Article 8 of the ECHR under review

Mahmood said she would announce further details of the changes on Monday, including an update on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to a family life.

She stated the article is currently being “applied in a way that is designed to frustrate the removal of those that, under our immigration rules, would not have the right to be in this country.”

While the government intends to remain within the ECHR, it wants to reinterpret how Article 8 is applied in immigration cases.

Charities object

More than 100 British charities have criticized the proposals, accusing the government of scapegoating migrants and implementing policies that harm vulnerable people. In a letter to Mahmood, they wrote that such steps were “fuelling racism and violence.”

The Refugee Council also warned on social media that refugees do not compare asylum systems before choosing where to flee, but are often drawn to the UK due to family ties, English language familiarity, or existing connections.

Read more: UK: 30,000 in asylum limbo for more than six years

Immigration concerns dominate UK political debate

Recent polling shows that immigration has overtaken the economy as the top concern for British voters. Protests have erupted across the country in recent months outside hotels housing asylum seekers at public expense.

Official statistics show that 109,343 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending March 2025, a 17% increase from the previous year and 6% above the 2002 peak of 103,081.

Mahmood added that the government is also planning to open more “safe and legal” routes for asylum seekers, reaffirming that the UK should “play its part in helping those fleeing danger.”