London, March 2 Refugee status granted by the UK will become temporary and subject to review every 30 months for all adults claiming asylum in the country from Monday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced.
The change, dubbed by the South Asian heritage minister as the UK’s biggest asylum system reforms, follows her visit to Denmark last week to learn from a similar Danish approach in recent years.
According to the Home Office, the Danes reduced asylum claims by more than 90 per cent in a decade through a similar temporary approach.
“This country will always provide sanctuary to those fleeing war and persecution. But we must also ensure our asylum system is not creating pull factors that draw people on dangerous journeys across the world, fuelling and funding the human traffickers," Mahmood said in a statement.
“Genuine refugees will find safety in Britain, but we must also reduce the incentives that draw people here at such scale, including those without a legitimate need for protection. So, once a refugee's home is safe and they are able to return, they will be expected to do so.
“This is a firm but fair approach, restoring order and control of Britain's borders, while protecting those fleeing war and repression,” she said.
Home Office statistics released last week revealed the number of people claiming asylum in the UK fell by 4 per cent in 2025, despite the number of people arriving illegally to the country on small boats rising by 13 per cent.
Indians were ranked seventh among nationals claiming asylum in the past year, with Pakistan, Eritrea, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria and Vietnam completing the top 10 tally.
Under the new measures enforced this week, protection will be renewed only for refugees who still face danger in their home country. Those whose country is deemed safe at the time of a 30-month review will be expected to return home.
Under the previous system, refugees were granted five years of protection and allowed to bring their families – followed by near-automatic, fee-free permanent settlement with continued access to benefits and housing.
“This was amongst the most generous offers to refugees in any country in Western Europe. The Home Secretary has argued this has become a pull-factor that has seen asylum claims in Britain rise steeply, including tens of thousands of illegitimate claims each year, as they fall across the rest of the continent,” the Home Office said.
Mahmood’s changes, part of the most sweeping measures to tackle migration "since the Second World War" unveiled in November last year, adults and accompanied children claiming asylum in the UK will be granted a 30-month period of protection if they qualify.
Refugees with a continuing need of sanctuary will have their protection renewed in a review at the end of that 30-month window, with others expected to return home.
“At the same time, refugees who wish to stay in Britain and have skills will be able to apply for new work and study visas, helping them integrate with and contribute to society," the Home Office said.
“Britain will also open new, safe and legal routes, with community sponsorship becoming the new norm. The entire approach is designed to shift the asylum system in Britain away from dangerous, illegal crossings, and high levels of applications from those without legitimate asylum claims,” it stated.
Refugees under the new system will need to renew their permission to stay or apply for a legal visa route. The option for them to sponsor members of their family to join them remains “paused” under this reset in Britain’s asylum offer inspired by Denmark.
“Since 2015, Denmark has made refugee status temporary – subject to review every two years – introduced restrictions on family reunion and increased the wait for permanent settlement to eight years, subject to strict integration and employment requirements," the Home Office said.
Under reforms announced last year, refugees in the UK already will have to wait 20 years for settlement unless they switch to a legal visa route as part of the new “core protection” model.
The Home Office said this new "core protection" system will be introduced through a change to the Immigration Rules later this week. Asylum seekers already in the country before the change will continue to be assessed under the previous rules.
New routes will be created as an alternative to “core protection” for those who can contribute through work or study, encouraging use of the legal migration system and contributing to better social cohesion.
Unaccompanied children will continue to receive five years’ leave to remain in the country, while the government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group.
The Home Office said robust age assessment measures are already in place to root out false claims by migrants claiming to be under 18, with AI technology being tested to strengthen this further.
