Business Desk 
Nov 17, 2025
The United Kingdom has announced sweeping changes to its asylum system, extending the path to permanent residency and tightening conditions for refugees.
According to the Home Office, refugee status will now be temporary rather than a direct route to settlement.
Authorities will check the status of each refugee every two and a half years, with a possibility of taking back the protection if the individual’s home country is now safe.
According to the government, the new framework takes some elements from the strict asylum model of Denmark.
However, the asylum seekers who can work but refuse to do so, as well as those who commit criminal offences, will not be entitled to government housing or a weekly allowance anymore.
Authorities said financial support would henceforth be restricted to only those asylum seekers who contribute to the economy and their communities.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that the previous system, which almost always resulted in settlement after five years, is to be phased out.
She also stated that the authorities will announce the guidelines on Monday on how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees the family right to life, should be interpreted.
Over 100 charities have criticised the overhaul, warning that the policies risk stigmatising migrants and inflaming public hostility. Humanitarian organisations have urged the government to reconsider, arguing that stricter rules could undermine refugee safety and long-term integration.
