U.K. โGovernment Proposes Sweeping Changes to Asylum Policy, Including Potentialโค Removal ofโข Support for Asylum Seekers
LONDON – The U.K. government is โฃpreparing to unveil a major overhaul of its asylum โคpolicies aimed at deterring irregular migration and streamlining the โขremoval โคof those already inโ the country. Home Secretary Yvette Cooperโค is expected to outline the proposals โขin Parliament โon Monday.
Official figures showโค asylum claims inโ Britain are at a record high, with approximately 111,000 โapplications made in the yearโค ending June 2025.โ
the Home โขOffice has โขdescribed the reforms asโ “the largest overhaul of asylum policy โคin modern times.” โKey โขelements โof the plan โขinclude revoking a statutoryโ legalโ duty, established in a 2005 law, to provide โคsupport to asylum seekers.This means housing and โคweeklyโ financial allowances would no longer be guaranteed, becoming “discretionary.” The government could deny assistanceโ to asylum seekers โขdeemedโข capable of workingโ or supporting themselves, orโฃ those with criminal records.
The move comes โคas Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Labor governmentโ faces mounting pressure to curb the numberโ of migrants crossing the englishโข Channel in small boats from France. More than 39,000 people have made the dangerous crossing this year,โ exceeding the totalโ forโ 2024 but fallingโข shortโฃ of the record set in โ2022.
The issue isโฃ also fuelingโ support โขfor theโฃ Reform party,led by nigel Farage,which has recently led Labour in opinion polls. โฃLabour is reportedlyโ drawing inspiration from Denmark’s strict migration policies,โค where asylum claims areโ at โขa 40-year low.
Denmark’s โฃsystem involves one-year renewable residency permits,โ encouragement for refugeesโฃ toโฃ return home when safe, and stringent requirements โคfor family reunions, โขincluding age minimums, language tests, and proof of financial stability.Britain’sโ newโ policies โare expected to include a tightening of rulesโ around family reunions.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, has โurged the government toโ reconsider the plans, stating they “will โnot deter” the crossings and arguingโ that refugees should be supported to “build secure, settled โฃlives and give back to their communities.”
The proposals are likely to face opposition from withinโข Labour’sโ more left-leaningโข factions, whoโ fear losing voters to parties like the Greens.
