‘Stricter conditions for migrants receiving asylum support will create a fairer, compliance-based system that’s better for the British taxpayer‘
Asylum seekers who break the law, illegally work or can support themselves financially will have their accommodation and financial support removed under new laws introduced yesterday.
The statutory legal duty to provide asylum seekers with support and accommodation will be revoked. Instead, it will be replaced with a conditional approach, so support is reserved only for those who genuinely need it and follow the law.
The measures, laid in Parliament yesterday (Thursday 5 March) and which will come into force in June, will remove support payments and accommodation for asylum seekers who illegally work, have the ability to support themselves, have the right to work or have broken the law. Those convicted of serious crimes face removal or deportation.
The move comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduces new legislation to restore order and control to our borders. She outlined her plans in a speech at the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank outlining how these reforms are in line with her British values.
The measures deliver on last November’s asylum policy statement, which set out this government’s plan to fix our broken asylum system and maintain the public’s confidence so we can continue provide sanctuary to those genuinely fleeing danger.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution. But taxpayers cannot be expected to fund the lives of those who exploit the system or break our laws.Asylum support and accommodation will now become conditional – reserved only for those who play by our rules.“
Last year a total of £4 billion was spent on asylum support in the UK. As of December, there were 107,003 individuals in receipt of asylum support, with 30,657 in around 200 asylum hotels, costing the Home Office an average of £53,000 a year.
Among this group, around 21,000 migrants could be granted the right to work because they have been waiting for more than 12 months for their asylum claim.
Meanwhile, a record-breaking 9,000 illegal working arrests were made across the UK last year – some of which were asylum seekers.
Under the tougher policy, these people could be eligible to have their support removed, alongside those who break the law, refuse removal and can financially support themselves.
The UK Labour government has already reduced the number of migrants in asylum hotels by 19% in the past year (to the end of December 2025), and overall asylum support costs by 15% in the last financial year (to the end of March 2025).
Tougher rules like those set out could help reduce this even further and lead to greater savings for the taxpayer.
It will ensure the UK offers asylum support that is decent and humane, without attracting illegal migrants to the UK and placing an excessive burden on taxpayers.
Yesterday’s announcement comes after the Home Secretary visited Denmark last week to see how it has tackled immigration with extraordinary results, bringing asylum claims to a 40-year low.
Ms Mahmood has set out that her sweeping reforms to the UK immigration system will follow the Danish model to ramp up removals of those with no right to be here and make it less attractive for illegal migrants to come to Britain.
This work includes closing every asylum hotel in the UK and moving migrants to alternative accommodation, such as former military sites like Crowborough, which is already housing male migrants.
The government will also reform the interpretation of Article 8 of the ECHR to ramp up removals, threaten visa sanctions on countries who do not take back illegal migrants, create a one-stop-shop to fix the broken appeals system and open new safe and legal routes.
The Labour Government says: “Taken together, these are the most sweeping reforms to Britain’s immigration system in modern times.
“It sits alongside existing work which has seen illegal working enforcement activity in 2025 reach the highest level in British history in a calendar year. Removals have also scaled up to nearly 60,000 since July 2024 – a 31% increase compared to the 19-month period ending June 2024.”
The refugee model will shift from permanent to temporary for those who arrive through illegal routes
Refugee status will become temporary and subject to review every 30 months for all adults claiming asylum from today, the Home Secretary has announced.
Protection will be renewed for all those refugees who still face danger in their home country. Those whose country has now become safe, and therefore no longer require protection, will be expected to return home.
The change follows Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s visit to Denmark last week, which introduced a similar approach in recent years. The Danes have reduced asylum claims by more than 90% in a decade.
Last November, as part of the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration since the Second World War, the government announced that refugee protection would become temporary. At the same time, refugees who want 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.
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.
Under these changes, adults and accompanied children claiming asylum from today will receive a 30-month period of protection, if granted. At a 30-month review, refugees with a continuing need of sanctuary will have their protection renewed, while those whose countries are now deemed safe will be expected to return home.
Under the previous system, refugees were granted 5 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.
Refugees under the reformed system will need to renew their permission to stay or apply for a legal visa route. Family reunion remains paused while new rules are designed that bring financial and integration requirements in line with those expected of British citizens.
The reset in Britain’s asylum offer, inspired by Denmark’s success, will encourage those wishing to build a life in the UK to do so via legal routes and reduce the pull factors driving illegal migration. The first step towards a new, ‘core protection’ system will be introduced through a change to the Immigration Rules later this week.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “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.
“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.”
While Denmark was cutting asylum claims to a 40-year low, the UK saw a 13% increase in the year to September 2025. Across the EU, applications fell by 22% over the same period.
Since 2015, Denmark has made refugee status temporary (subject to review every 2 years), introduced restrictions on family reunion and increased the wait for permanent settlement to 8 years, subject to strict integration and employment requirements.
Under reforms announced last autumn, refugees in the UK will have to wait 20 years for settlement, unless they switch to a legal visa route, as part of the ‘core protection’ model.
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. Further details of these will be set out in future Immigration Rules changes.
Unaccompanied children will continue to receive 5 years’ leave, while the government considers the appropriate long-term policy for this group. Further details will be set out in due course.
Robust age assessment measures are already in place to root out false claims by migrants claiming to be under 18. AI technology currently being tested will strengthen this further.
Home Secretary sets out controversial reforms to the UK’s asylum and returns system
HOME SECRETARY SHABANA MAHMOOD’s STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY:
I will make a statement about how we restore order and control to our borders. I do so as this Government publishes the most significant reform to our migration system in modern times.
This country will always offer sanctuary to those fleeing danger, but we must also acknowledge that the world has changed and our asylum system has not changed with it.
Our world is a more volatile, and more mobile, place. Huge numbers are on the move. While some are refugees, others are economic migrants seeking to use, and abuse, our asylum system. Even genuine refugees are passing through other safe countries searching for the most attractive place to seek refuge.
The burden that has fallen on this country has been heavy. 400,000 have sought asylum here in the last four years. Over 100,000 people now live in asylum accommodation, and over half of refugees remain on benefits eight years after they have arrived.
To the British public, who foot the bill, the system feels out of control and unfair. It feels that way, because it is. The pace and scale of change has destabilised communities. It is making our country a more divided place.
There will never be a justification for the violence and racism of a minority, but if we fail to deal with this crisis, we will draw more people down a path that starts with anger, and ends in hatred.
I have no doubt about who we really are in this country. We are open, tolerant and generous. But the public rightly expect that we can determine who enters this country, and who must leave.
To maintain the generosity that allows us to provide sanctuary, we must restore order and control.
[Political content redacted]
My predecessor as Home Secretary picked up this [political content redacted] inheritance, and rebuilt the foundations of a collapsed asylum system.
Decision making has been restored, with a backlog now 18% lower than when we entered office. Removals have increased – reaching nearly 50,000 under this Government.
Immigration enforcement has hit record levels, with over 8,000 arrests in the last year.
The Border Security Bill is progressing through parliament, and my predecessor struck a historic agreement with the French, which means small boat arrivals can now be sent back to France.
These are vital steps, but we must go further. Today, we have published “Restoring Order and Control”, a new statement on our asylum policy. Its goals are two-fold: firstly, to reduce illegal arrivals into this country, and secondly, to increase removals of those with no right to be here.
It starts by accepting an uncomfortable truth: while asylum claims fall across Europe, they are rising here, and that is because of the comparative generosity of our asylum offer when compared to so many of our European neighbours.
This generosity is a factor that draws people to these shores, on a path that runs through other safe countries. Nearly 40 percent come on small boats and over perilous channel crossings, but a roughly equal number come here legally, via a visitor, work or study visa, and then go on to claim asylum.
They do so because refugee status is the most generous route into this country. An initial grant lasts five years, which is then converted, almost automatically, into permanent settled status. In other European countries, things are done differently.
In Denmark, refugee status is temporary, and they provide safety and sanctuary until it is possible for a refugee to return home. In recent years, asylum claims have hit a 40-year low, and now, across Europe, countries are tightening their systems in similar ways.
We must act too. We will do so by making refugee status temporary, not permanent. A grant of refugee status will last two and a half years, not five. It will be renewed only if it is impossible for a refugee to return home. Permanent settlement will now come at 20 years, not five.
I know this country welcomes people who contribute. For those who want to stay, and are willing and able to, we will create a new ‘work and study’ visa route, solely for refugees, with a quicker path to permanent settlement.
To encourage refugees into work, we will also consult on removing benefits for those who are able to work but choose not to.
Outside of the most exceptional circumstances, family reunion will not be possible, with a refugee only able to bring family over if they have joined a work and study route, and if qualifying tests are met.
While over 50,000 were granted refugee status in the last year, more than 100,000 claimants and failed asylum seekers remain in taxpayer funded accommodation, and we know that criminal gangs use the prospect of free bed and board to promote their small boat crossings.
We have already announced that we will empty asylum hotels by the end of the Parliament, and we are exploring a number of large military sites as an alternative.
We will now also remove the 2005 legislation that created a “duty” to support asylum seekers, reverting to a legal “power” to do so instead. While we will continue to support those who play by the rules, those who do not – be that through criminality or anti-social behaviour – can have their support removed. We will also remove our duty to support those who have a right to work.
It is right that those who do receive support, pay for it if they can, so those with income or assets will have to contribute to the cost of their stay. This will end the absurdity that we currently experience. Where an asylum seeker receiving £800 each month from his family, and who had recently acquired an Audi, was receiving free housing at the taxpayers’ expense, and the courts judged we could do nothing about it.
These measures are designed to tackle the pull factors that draw people to this country, but reducing the number of arrivals is just half of the story. We must also enforce our rules and remove those who have no right to be here. This will mean restarting removals to countries where they have been paused.
In recent months, we have begun voluntary removal of failed asylum seekers to Syria once again; however, there are still many failed asylum seekers here from Syria, most of whom fled a regime that has since been toppled. Other countries are planning to enforce removals, and we will follow suit. Where a failed asylum seeker cannot be returned home, we will also continue to explore the possibility of return hubs, with negotiations ongoing.
We must remove those who have failed asylum claims, regardless of who they are. Today, we are not removing family groups – even when we know that their home country is perfectly safe. There are, for instance, around 700 Albanian families living in taxpayer-funded accommodation having failed their asylum claims.
This is true despite an existing returns agreement, and that Albania is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. So, we will now begin the removal of families. Where possible, we will encourage a voluntary return, but where an enforced return is necessary, that is what we will do.
Where the barrier to a return is not the individual, nor the UK Government, but the receiving country, we will take action.
I can announce today that we have told Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Namibia that if they do not comply with international rules and norms we will impose visa penalties on them. And I am sending a wider message here: unless other countries heed this lesson, further sanctions will follow.
Much of the delay in our removals, however, comes from the sclerotic nature of our own system. In March of this year, the appeals backlog stood at 51,000 cases. This Government has already increased judicial sitting days, but reform is required, so we will create a new appeals body, staffed by professional independent adjudicators, and we will ensure there is early legal representation available to advise claimants and ensure their issues are properly considered.
Cases with a low chance of success will be fast-tracked, and claimants will have just one opportunity to claim and one to appeal, ending the merry-go-round of claims and appeals that frustrate so many removals.
While some barriers to removal are the result of process, others are substantive issues related to the law itself. There is no doubt that the expanded interpretation of parts of the European Convention on Human Rights has contributed.
This is particularly true of Article 8: the right to a family life. The courts have adopted an ever-expanding interpretation of this right.
As a result, many people have been allowed to come to this country, when they would otherwise have had no right to, and we have been unable to remove others when the case for doing so seems overwhelming.
This includes cases like an arsonist, sentenced to five years in prison whose deportation was blocked on the grounds that his relationship with his sibling may suffer.
More than half of those detained are now delaying or blocking their removal by raising a last-minute rights claim.
Article 8 is a qualified right: that means we are not prevented from removing individuals or refusing an application to move to the UK if it is “in the public interest”. To narrow Article 8 rights, we will therefore make three important changes, in both domestic law and our immigration rules.
Firstly, we will define what, exactly, a family is – narrowing this down to parents and their children.
Secondly, we will define “the public interest” test so the default becomes a removal or refusal, with Article 8 rights only permissible in the most exceptional circumstances.
Thirdly, we will tighten where Article 8 claims can be heard, ensuring only those who are living in the UK can lodge a claim, rather than their family members overseas, and that all claims are heard first by the Home Office and not in a courtroom.
We will also pursue international reform of a second element of the European Convention: the application of Article 3 – the prohibition on torture and inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment.
We will never return anyone to be tortured in their home country, but the definition of “degrading treatment” has expanded into the realm of the ridiculous.
Today, we have criminals we seek to deport, but discover we cannot because the prisons in their home country have cells that are deemed too small, or even mental health provision that is not as good as our own.
As Article 3 is an absolute right, a public interest test cannot be applied. For that reason, we are seeking reform at the Council of Europe, and we do so alongside international partners who have raised similar concerns. But it is not just international law that binds us.
According to data from 2022, over 40% of those detained for removal claimed they were modern-day slaves. This well-intentioned law is being abused by those who seek to frustrate a legitimate removal.
So, I will bring forward legislation that tightens the Modern Slavery system to ensure that it protects those it was designed for, and not those who seek to abuse it.
Taken together Madam Deputy Speaker, these are significant reforms. They are designed to ensure our asylum system is fit for the modern world, and that we retain public consent for the very idea of providing refuge.
We will always be a country that offers protection to those fleeing peril, just as we did, in recent years, when Ukraine was invaded, when Afghanistan was evacuated, and when we repatriated Hong Kongers.
For that reason, as order and control is restored, we will open new, capped, safe and legal routes into this country. These will make sponsorship the primary means by which we resettle refugees, with voluntary and community organisations given greater involvement, to both receive refugees and support them, working within caps set by Government.
We will also create a new route for displaced students to study in the UK, and another for skilled refugees to work here. Of course, we will always remain flexible to new crises, across the world, as they happen.
I know the British people do not want to close the doors. But until we restore order and control, those who seek to divide us will grow stronger.
It is our job – [political content redacted] – to unite where there is division, so we must now build an asylum system for the world as it is. One that restores order and control. One that opens safe and legal routes to those fleeing danger across the world, and one that sustains our commitment to providing refuge for this generation and those to come.
I know the country we are. We are open, tolerant and generous. We are the greater Britain that those on this side of the House believe in. Not the littler England that some would wish we would become. These reforms are designed to bring unity, where others seek to divide.
Madam Deputy Speaker, I commend this statement to the House.
Campaigning organisation Asylum Matters said: ‘Today’s asylum reforms put the basic principle of refugee protection under threat. They won’t stop irregular migration.
‘But they would make us a country that has given in to extremists and abandoned vital protection principles set up after the horrors of the Second World War.’
Migrants granted asylum in the UK will no longer be automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, under ‘landmark policy changes’ outlined by the Prime Minister
Changes to the leave granted to asylum seekers in the UK will mean they are no longer automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, balancing protection against persecution with controlling our borders
Will make the system fairer, in line with our European allies and reduce incentives for asylum seekers travelling illegally to the UK, bypassing other safe countries
Came as Prime Minister ‘drives forward progress on tackling illegal migration’ at Thursday’s EPC Summit in Copenhagen
Migrants granted asylum in the UK will no longer be automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, under landmark policy changes outlined by the Prime Minister today (Thursday 2 October).
In her forthcoming asylum policy reform, the Home Secretary will introduce a fundamental change to the rights provided to those granted asylum in the UK, looking to end automatic family reunion rights and altering the requirements for long-term settlement in the UK.
The Prime Minister announced the reforms ahead of his attendance at the European Political Community Summit in Copenhagen, where he co-chaired a roundtable with leaders on innovative approaches to tackling illegal migration.
The fundamental reforms will be the basis of a fairer system where – as the Home Secretary indicated in her speech to Conference – the route to settlement should be longer, and be earned via contribution to the country. They are also aimed at addressing the pull factors driving high levels of illegal migration to the UK.
The latest step in unpicking the business model of criminal people smugglers and securing our border under the Plan for Change, it builds on progress in recent weeks to show those who come here illegally that the UK is not a soft touch. This follows the first small boat migrant returns to France under the UK-France Treaty and the government unveiling plans to crack down on illegal working through digital ID.
The changes will bring an end to the unfair system that sees those crossing the channel in a small boat having greater rights to settlement and family reunion than those who arrive through proper legal routes and even British citizens.
In line with ‘our values as a tolerant and fair minded country’, genuine refugees will not be returned to their home country – and will be entitled to a package of core protection should they receive a positive decision – but they will face a new, longer route to settlement requiring them to contribute, replacing the current 5 years, and they will not have the automatic right to family reunion.
Full detail of the reforms will be set out in an Asylum Policy Statement set to be unveiled later in the Autumn.
The asylum core protection announcement builds on plans set out by the Home Secretary earlier this week for a series of further conditions that migrants will have to meet before gaining indefinite leave to remain (settlement) in this country.
This includes being in work, making a certain level of National Insurance contributions, not taking any benefits payments, learning English to a high standard, having a spotless criminal record, and giving back by, for example, working in your local community.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “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.
“That is why we’re making fundamental changes to what those granted asylum are afforded in the UK. Settlement must 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. 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.”
The Prime Minister is set to discuss the changes, as well as other ways European countries can work together to tackle the shared challenge of illegal migration, at the EPC Summit.
In a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen, the leaders are set to announce a new partnership backed by up to £3 million to tackle the causes of migration upstream in Western Balkan countries, including by encouraging people to stay in the region and take up jobs there.
Having boosted international cooperation with key partners, the PM will also take the opportunity to reflect on progress made to date to disrupt and deter people smuggling upstream, and discuss how to go further, including through reform of implementation of the ECHR.
This will include the fact the UK is contributing up to £5.75 million under Italy’s Rome Process to tackle migration upstream in key African source and transit companies, reducing movements of migrants towards Europe and supporting the voluntary return of people to countries of origin.
The UK and Germany will deepen collaboration between their respective justice systems to combat migrant smuggling by strengthening law enforcement efforts to bring migrant smuggler networks to justice.
This will include a focus on efforts to seize and disrupt the supply of dangerous small boats equipment and prosecute smugglers, taking full advantage of Germany’s law change to criminalise facilitation of irregular migration to the UK, expected before the end the year.
The City of Edinburgh Council unequivocally condemns the violent protests that have been taking place against refugees and asylum seekers across the country.
This statement has been agreed by all of the elected members from the Labour, SNP, Liberal Democrat and Green groups setting out our shared concerns and positions:
‘Refugees and asylum seekers are people, with hopes, dreams and ambitions. Some have families and children, and are fleeing hardship, persecution, war and unimaginable suffering. That people fleeing such traumatic circumstances should be met by anger, hate and violence is heartbreaking and does not reflect the values that we in Edinburgh have lived by.
‘Harsh rhetoric on migration have contributed to this situation and the blame for this lies with large sections of the media as well as a great many politicians who ought to be courageously standing up for refugees and asylum seekers, not telling lies about refugees and immigrants. We condemn the racism, whether it be systemic or not, which is often at the root of these messages.
‘However, cynical attempts to paint working class communities as racist must also be challenged. Many communities are struggling with the rising cost of living and have seen their public services hollowed out by over a decade of austerity measures.
‘While some have reasons to be angry and upset, we must push back against attempts to direct that anger at some of the most vulnerable in our society. Our responsibility as leaders in this city includes helping build relationships between our diverse communities and building cohesion.
‘Peaceful protest is fundamental to our freedoms and complex policy issues should be discussed and debated thoroughly, but it is incumbent on everyone to do so in a manner which is civil, which does not dehumanise or scapegoat vulnerable communities, and which reflects reality, not myths.
‘We take a strong partnership approach to public safety here and the Council commends all of the organisations involved in making the welcome real for those who have newly arrived in our communities.
‘Within the Council we have agreed a cross-party statement between Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems and the Greens – it reflects our combined desire to welcome refugees and asylum seekers, to recognise the important benefits that newcomers bring to our communities and to ensure that they have a good opportunity to flourish with us here in Scotland.
‘One of the key things we can do is to combat misinformation to ensure that the people of Edinburgh have access to accurate information on this topic. We also want to recognise and celebrate the stories of refugees who have found a new home in Edinburgh, their incredible contributions to our communities and society, and the benefit that they bring to us all.
‘While the Home Office is ultimately responsible for managing migration, the Council sees great value in firmly and unambiguously stating that Edinburgh is a welcoming and diverse city and is stronger for that diversity.
‘We reiterate our united position that all people who want to live, work and visit our city are welcome to do so.’
HOME SECRETARY UPDATES WESTMINSTER FOLLOWING SUMMER RECESS
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a statement in parliament yesterday on actions the government is taking with France to strengthen border security and reforms to the asylum system:
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will update the House on the actions we are taking with France to strengthen our border security and the next steps on our reforms to the asylum system.
Now to be aware when we came into the government, we found an asylum and immigration system in chaos.
Small boat gangs for 7 years had been allowed to embed their criminal trade along the French coast. The asylum backlog was soaring. Illegal working was being ignored.
It is little wonder that people right across the country lost confidence in the system and demanded to know why they were paying the price of a system that was so out of control.
But that does not mean people rejected the long and proud history of Britain doing our bit to help those fleeing persecution or conflict – including in the past decade families from Ukraine, Syria and Hong Kong.
It is the British way, to do our bit alongside other countries to help those who need sanctuary.
But the system has to be controlled and managed, based on fair and properly enforced rules, not chaos and exploitation driven by criminal smuggler gangs.
It is exactly because of that important tradition, that substantial reforms are needed now.
In our first year, we have taken immediate action, laying the foundations for more fundamental reform.
We have restored asylum decision making and then rapidly increased the rate of decisions.
Instead, we removed 35,000 people with no right to be here, including a 28% increase in returns of failed asylum seekers and a 14% increase in removals of foreign criminals.
We have increased raids and arrests on illegal working by 50%, and we cut the annual hotel bill by almost a billion pounds in the last financial year. We are rolling out digital ID and biometric kits so immigration enforcement can check on the spot whether someone has a right to work or a right to be in the UK.
And on Channel crossings and organised immigration crime we are putting in place new powers, new structures and new international agreements to help dismantle the criminal industry behind small boats.
I want to update the House on the further steps we are now taking.
In August I signed the new treaty with France allowing us for the first time to directly return those who arrive on small boats.
The first detentions took place the next day – of people immediately on arrival at Dover.
We expect the first returns to begin later this month.
Applications have also been opened for the reciprocal legal route, with the first cases under consideration, subject to the strict security checks.
We have made clear this is a pilot scheme – the more that we prove the concept at the outset, the better we will be able to develop and grow it.
But the principles it embodies are crucial.
Because no one should be making these dangerous or illegal journeys on small boats.
And if they do, we want to see them swiftly returned.
But in return, we believe in doing our bit alongside other countries to help those who have fled persecution through managed and controlled legal programmes.
This summer we have also taken further action to strengthen enforcement against the smuggling gangs.
France has reviewed its maritime approach to allow for the interception of taxi boats in French waters, and we will continue to work with them to implement this change as soon as possible.
In the last year, the NCA has led 347 disruptions of immigration crime networks – their highest level on record and a 40% increase in a year.
Over the summer, we announced a £100 million uplift in funding for border security and up to 300 more personnel in the NCA focussing on targeting gangs.
The Border Security Bill will give them stronger powers. Counter terrorism powers against smuggler gangs and powers to seize and download mobile phones of small boat arrivals.
And the power to ban sex offenders from the asylum system altogether.
Those powers could be in place within months, making our country safer and more secure. (Political content redacted)
Let me turn now to the major reforms that are needed to fix the broken asylum system we inherited.
Although we have increased decision making and increased returns the overall system remains outdated, sclerotic and unfair.
So, as we set out in the Immigration White Paper, we will shortly set out radical reforms to modernise the asylum system and boost our border security.
Tackling the pull factors. Strengthening enforcement. Making sure people are treated fairly. Reforming the way that the ECHR is interpreted here at home. Speeding up the system, cutting numbers and ending the use of hotels. And developing controlled and managed routes for genuine refugees.
At the heart of these reforms will be a complete overhaul of the appeals system.
The biggest obstacle to reducing the size of the asylum system and ending hotel use.
Tens of thousands of people in asylum accommodation are currently waiting for appeals and under the current system that figure is set to grow, with an average wait time of 54 weeks.
We have already funded thousands of additional sitting days this year.
And the Border Security Bill will introduce a statutory timeframe of 24 weeks.
But we need to go further. So, we will introduce a new independent body to deal with immigration and asylum appeals fully independent of government, staffed by professionally trained adjudicators, with safeguards to ensure high standards but able to surge capacity as needed and accelerate and prioritise cases, alongside new procedures to tackle repeat applications and unnecessary delays.
We are also increasing detention and returns capacity – including a 1,000-bed expansion at Campsfield and Haslar, with the first tranche of additional beds coming online within months to support many thousands more enforced removals each year.
Our reforms will also address the overly complex system for family migration, including changes to the way Article 8 of the ECHR is interpreted.
We should be clear that international law is important – it is because other countries know we abide by it that we have been able to do new agreements with France to return people who arrive on small boats, to make new agreements with Germany to stop the warehousing of small boats by criminal gangs and to explore return hubs partnerships with other European countries.
But we also need the interpretation of international law to keep up with the realities and challenges of today’s world.
But there is one area where we also need to make more immediate changes.
The current rules for family reunion for refugees were designed many years ago to help families separated by war, conflict and persecution.
But the way they are being used now has changed.
Even just before the pandemic, refugees who applied to bring family to the UK did so on average more than 1 or 2 years after they were granted protection.
Long enough for them to get jobs, find housing and be able to provide their family with some support.
In Denmark and Switzerland, currently those granted humanitarian protection are not able to apply to bring family for at least 2 years after protection has been granted.
Here in the UK now however those applications now come in on average within 1 month, even before a newly granted refugee has left asylum accommodation. As a consequence, refugee families who arrive are far more likely to seek homelessness assistance.
Some councils are finding that more than a quarter of their family homelessness applications are linked to refugee family reunion. That is not sustainable.
Currently there are also no conditions on family reunion for refugee sponsors unlike those in place if the sponsor is a British citizen or a long-term UK resident. That is not fair.
Finally, the proportion of migrants who have arrived on small boats and who then apply to bring family has also increased sharply in recent years.
With signs that smuggler gangs are now able to use the promise of family reunion to promote dangerous boat journeys to the UK.
Mr Speaker, we continue to believe that families staying together is important. It is why we will seek to prioritise family groups among the applicants to come to Britain under our new deal with France.
But reforms are needed. In our asylum policy statement later this year, we will set out a new system for family migration.
Including contribution requirements, longer periods before newly granted refugees can apply, and dedicated control arrangements for unaccompanied children, and for those fleeing persecution who have family in the UK. We aim to have some of those changes in place for the spring.
In the meantime, we need do to address the immediate pressures on local authorities.
And the risks from criminal gangs using family reunion as a pull factor to encourage more people onto boats.
Therefore, we are bringing forward new Immigration Rules this week to temporarily suspend new applications under the existing dedicated Refugee Family Reunion route. Until the new framework is introduced, refugees will be covered by the same Family Migration rules and conditions as everyone else.
Mr Speaker, let me turn next to the action we are taking to ensure that every asylum hotel will be closed for good under this government.
Not just by shifting individuals from hotels to other sites, but by driving down the numbers in supported accommodation overall.
Not in a chaotic way, through piecemeal court judgements, but through a controlled, managed and orderly programme, driving down inflow into the asylum system, clearing the appeals backlog which is crucial, and continuing to increase returns.
Within the asylum estate, we are reconfiguring sites, increasing room-sharing, tightening the test for accommodation and working at pace to identify alternative cheaper and more appropriate accommodation with other government departments and with local authorities.
And we are increasing standards and security and joint public safety cooperation between the police, accommodation providers and the Home Office to ensure that laws and rules are enforced.
Mr Speaker, I understand and agree with local councils and communities who want the asylum hotels in their communities closed.
Because we need to close all asylum hotels, and we need to do so for good.
But that must be done in a controlled and orderly manner, (…) that led to the opening of hotels in the first place.
Finally, Mr Speaker, let me update the House on the continued legal and controlled support we will provide for those facing conflict and persecution.
We will continue to do our bit to support Ukraine – extending the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme by a further 24 months, with further details to be set out in due course.
We are also taking immediate action to rescue children who have been seriously injured in the horrendous onslaught on civilians in Gaza so they can get the urgent health treatment they need.
The Foreign Secretary will update the House shortly on the progress to get those children out.
I can confirm the Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for children and their immediate accompanying family members.
We have done the same for all the Chevening scholars and are in the process of doing so now for the next group of students who have been awarded fully funded scholarships and places at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn this year.
Later this year, we will set out our plans to establish a permanent framework for refugee students to come study in the UK so that we can help talented young people fleeing war and persecution to find a better future. Alongside capped and managed ways for refugees to work here in the UK.
Mr Speaker, this is a government determined to fix every aspect of the broken system we inherited and restore the confidence of the British people.
What we will never do is seek to stir up chaos, division or hate.
That is not who we are as a country. That is not what Britain stands for.
A practical plan to strengthen our border security, to fix the asylum chaos and to rebuild confidence in an asylum and immigration system that serves our national interest, protects our national security, and reflects our national values.
Because, when we wave the Union Flag, when we wave the St George’s Flag, when we sing God Save The King, and celebrate everything that is great about Britain and about our country.
We do so with pride because of the values that our flags, our King, and our country represent.
Togetherness, Fairness and Decency.
Respect for each other, and respect for the Rule of Law.
That is what our country stands for.
That is the British way to fix the problems we face.
Investment to help people settle in Scotland’s communities
A service to help refugees and people seeking asylum integrate into their local areas is being supported with £8 million in funding over the next two and a half years.
Delivered by the Scottish Refugee Council, the Scotland-wide integration support service will provide advice, information and resources to help people fleeing war and persecution settle into their new home.
This will build on the success of the previous grant-funded Refugee Support Service for 2024/25 which supported more than 10,000 people from 113 countries to rebuild their lives here.
The new multi-year funded contract will run until March 2028 with an option to extend for a further two years, enabling more people to be supported.
Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Our Programme for Government commits to a multi-year funded service so refugees and people seeking asylum can access the support they need, when they need it.
“Refugees and people seeking asylum are welcome in Scotland and this service will support them to start rebuilding their lives here.
“The Scottish Refugee Council has already provided incredible support to refugees and people seeking asylum to help them work, study and live in Scotland. I’m very pleased that these efforts can continue through the service we’re funding.”
Scottish Refugee Council chief executive Sabir Zazai said: “We’re delighted that our approach to building a better future with refugees in Scotland has been recognised with this investment, which will enable us to continue reaching those who need our help, wherever in Scotland they are based.
“Last year, we worked with people seeking safety in 30 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities and connected hundreds of communities across the country, helping them work together to support and welcome New Scots.
“We’re looking forward to building on this work and reaching even more people seeking refugee protection in Scotland, providing them with essential information, multilingual advice and practical support.”
Edinburgh College has been awarded College of Sanctuary status in recognition of the support it provides to refugees and asylum seekers in accessing educational opportunities.
The College of Sanctuary status – awarded by the City of Sanctuary UK network – recognises and aims to enhance the work of colleges in providing support and opportunities for refugees, asylum seekers, and those seeking sanctuary in the UK.
To gain the award, a group of staff from across the College united to audit and enhance the range of support provided to students seeking sanctuary currently enrolled at the College.
This involved expanding training for staff on sanctuary-seeking issues, improving signposting to support services, broadening engagement with local refugee and asylum seeker support organisations, and enhancing opportunities for students of all backgrounds to become involved in college life.
In addition, the College partnered with ECSA (Edinburgh College Students’ Association) to provide a remunerated work placement opportunity for a student seeking sanctuary to lead on incorporating the student voice into the heart of the project.
Through this work, Student Engagement Assistant, Zahra Maleki, interviewed a number of students to learn more about their journey to the UK, College experience, the support that they receive, and plans for the future, to help the College gain a deeper understanding of the lives of these students and the challenges they face.
The award, and the activities undertaken as part of it, build upon the significant progress Edinburgh College has made in recent years and establishes a benchmark for future efforts to ensure students who are seeking sanctuary feel welcome and supported to thrive during their time at College.
Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College Principal, said: “I’m delighted that the College has been formally recognised as a College of Sanctuary. This award is recognition not just of the work undertaken this year, but recognition of the enormous work done by our staff in this area over a number of years, and, in some cases, decades.
“As Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh is a diverse and welcoming place. Our college embodies that. We have people from over 135 countries across the world choosing to come to study here. In everything we do, we aim to ensure Edinburgh College is a place where people are given an opportunity to build a better future for themselves, irrespective of where they have come from in the past.”
Gün Orgun, City of Sanctuary Coordinator for Scotland and Northern Ireland, who headed the appraisal panel for Edinburgh College, said: “It was great to visit Edinburgh College and speak to staff and students involved in their College of Sanctuary project.
“Our visit underscored all the great provision outlined in Edinburgh College’s application and the depth of staff commitment across the College, including senior management, was great to see. The panel noted a number of impressive areas of practice and comments from students demonstrated a strong sense of belonging within the College.
“Receiving this award is not an easy task, requiring a significant effort and going above and beyond statutory requirements – and Edinburgh College provided several great practice examples of what being a College of Sanctuary is all about.
“We look forward to seeing Edinburgh College’s provision in this area develop in the years ahead.”
Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart has called for the UK Government to consider a pilot proposal in Scotland which would give people seeking asylum the right to work in some parts of Scotland.
The Scottish Right to Work Pilot Proposal proposes a number of changes to current UK policy, including enabling the right to work from six months instead of twelve months, and removing restrictions on the types of work they can undertake. Additionally, those on the pilot would have access to support around key topics such as employability and language learning.
A report from the Scottish Government’s independent Expert Advisory Group on Migration and Population, published in December 2023, shows that granting people who are seeking asylum the right to work at an earlier stage could improve their wellbeing and integration, reduce their risk of exploitation, and have longer-term benefits to our economy and public service delivery.
Equalities Minister @KaukabStewart has asked @GOVUK to consider a pilot proposal to give people seeking asylum in some parts of Scotland the right to work after 6 months and remove some restrictions on the type of work they can undertake.
Ms Stewart said: “Scotland has a long history of welcoming refugees and people seeking asylum. We believe that giving people seeking asylum the right to work from an earlier point can have a positive impact on them, their families and our communities.
“This means that following a positive decision they will be better equipped to support themselves and their families.
“These measures would also enable asylum seekers to integrate more quickly, making a positive contribution to our workforce and economy by reducing the cost and demand on our public services.
“We ask that the Home Office engages with us to take forward this pilot proposal, in collaboration with our partners.”
PM Rishi Sunak’s press statement on the next stage of the plan to stop the boats
Last week – yet again – Peers in the House of Lords contrived to stop the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
For almost two years our opponents have used every trick in the book to block flights and keep the boats coming.
But enough is enough.
No more prevarication. No more delay.
Parliament will sit there tonight and vote no matter how late it goes.
No ifs, no buts. These flights are going to Rwanda.
We are going to deliver this indispensable deterrent so that we finally break the business model of the criminal gangs and save lives.
Starting from the moment that the Bill passes we will begin the process of removing those identified for the first flight.
We have prepared for this moment.
To detain people while we prepare to remove them, we’ve increased detention spaces to 2,200.
To quickly process claims, we’ve got 200 trained dedicated caseworkers ready and waiting.
To deal with any legal cases quickly and decisively, the judiciary have made available 25 courtrooms and identified 150 judges who could provide over 5,000 sitting days.
The Strasbourg Court have amended their Rule 39 procedures in line with the tests set out in our Illegal Migration Act and we’ve put beyond all doubt that Ministers can disregard these injunctions with clear guidance that if they decide to do so, civil servants must deliver that instruction.
And most importantly, once the processing is complete, we will physically remove people.
To do that, I can confirm that we’ve put an airfield on standby booked commercial charter planes for specific slots…
…and we have 500 highly trained individuals ready to escort illegal migrants all the way to Rwanda, with 300 more trained in the coming weeks.
This is one of the most complex operational endeavours the Home Office has carried out.
But we are ready. Plans are in place.
And these flights will go come what may.
No foreign court will stop us from getting flights off.
Rwanda is ready too.
And I would like to thank the government of Rwanda for their work in strengthening their asylum system, passing legislation, and setting up a new appeals tribunal.
The next few weeks will be about action.
But whilst I’m conscious people want deeds not words I’m not going to outline now exactly what will happen when.
There are good operational reasons for this.
There is a loud minority who will do anything to disrupt our plan so we will not be giving away sensitive operational detail which could hinder all the progress made to date.
Teams across government need to be able to get on and deliver without interference.
They are working flat out to deliver this genuine game changer.
The first flight will leave in 10 to 12 weeks.
Now of course, that is later than we wanted.
But we have always been clear that processing will take time and if Peers had not spent weeks holding up the Bill in the House of Lords to try to block flights altogether, we would have begun this process weeks ago.
And the success of this deterrent doesn’t rest on one flight alone.
It rests on the relentless, continual process of successfully and permanently removing people to Rwanda with a regular rhythm of multiple flights every month over the summer and beyond until the boats are stopped.
Now I know there are some who will hear all of this and accuse me of lacking compassion.
But the truth is the opposite.
We are in a battle with callous, sophisticated, and global criminal gangs who care nothing for the lives they risk in unseaworthy dinghies.
Nine people have died already attempting to cross the Channel just this year – including a seven-year-old girl.
That’s why we secured the largest ever deal with France to strengthen interceptions on the French coastline.
And because a third of all arrivals were coming from Albania we struck a deal that reduced illegal Albanian migrants by 90 per cent.
Taken together we’re doubling illegal working raids and returning 150 hotels back to our communities.
We got the number of small boat arrivals last year down by more than a third the first time they had fallen since this phenomenon began, and at a time when European countries were seeing numbers rise exponentially.
But these sophisticated gangs are changing tactics once again.
As well as piling twice as many people into small dinghies and increasing violence against French police they have shifted their attentions towards vulnerable Vietnamese migrants.
Vietnamese arrivals have increased ten-fold and account for almost all of the increase in small boat numbers we have seen this year.
And just as we succeeded in reducing Albanian arrivals dramatically, so I’m confident we will do the same when it comes to the Vietnamese.
President Macron and I have agreed to work with European partners on closing loopholes to enter Europe in the first place.
The Home Office have signed a Joint Statement with the Vietnamese Government committing to deepen our already very strong migration relationship.
And just last week officials from the Government of Vietnam were at Western Jetfoil and Manston to observe Border Force operations on the front line as they continue to manage small boat arrivals.
But we can’t keep reacting to the changing tactics of these gangs. The truth is we need innovative solutions to address what is a global migration crisis to disrupt the business model of people smuggling gangs and save lives.
And that means a systematic deterrent.
The only way to stop the boats is to eliminate the incentive to come by making it clear that if you are here illegally, you will not be able to stay.
This policy does exactly that.
I believe it should be this country and your government who decides who comes here, not criminal gangs. And I have the plan to deliver it.
So we will start the flights – and stop the boats.
