UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays

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The UK government is set to introduce a significant shift in its asylum policy, with a new approach emphasizing temporary protection rather than permanent refuge. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will announce on Monday that asylum recipients will no longer be granted indefinite leave to remain, but will instead have their status regularly reviewed and be expected to return to their home countries once conditions are considered safe. This marks a departure from the existing system, where refugee status lasts for five years, after which individuals can apply for permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship.

This change builds on existing temporary arrangements, such as those for Ukrainian refugees, initially established for three years but extended as needed. Government insiders have described the move toward temporary asylum status for all successful applicants as a “significant shift.” The new policy draws inspiration from Denmark’s immigration system, where temporary residence permits are typically granted for two years, and refugees must reapply upon expiration. Denmark also tightened its rules around extending permits and made citizenship harder to obtain, changes that have received approval from UK ministers including Mahmood, who cite improved polling for the centre-left Social Democrats there in parallel with declining support for the populist right-wing People’s Party.

Last week it was revealed that senior Home Office officials visited Denmark to study its system in detail, noting not only the temporary status approach but also Denmark’s stricter controls on family reunification for refugees wanting to bring spouses or children to the country. Mahmood regards these measures as effective deterrents, pointing to the lowest refugee claim levels in Denmark in 40 years. She argues that the perceived generosity of the UK’s current asylum system acts as a pull factor, encouraging dangerous small boat crossings. In promoting the new policy, Mahmood emphasized the need to balance compassion with control, stating on social media, “We will always be a country that gives sanctuary to people who are fleeing danger but we must restore order and control.”

However, the adoption of Denmark’s model is not without controversy. Critics note that the Danish government once planned to repatriate refugees to parts of Syria amid ongoing conflict, a move widely criticized and seen as risky. Within the UK, some Labour MPs have voiced strong opposition. Clive Lewis described Denmark’s system as echoing “talking points of the far right,” warning that Labour risks losing progressive supporters to parties further left, like the Greens. Nadia Whittome called the policy a “dead end – morally, politically and electorally.” Despite this dissent, Mahmood is expected to confront sceptics in a parliamentary speech, arguing that failure to adopt tougher measures risks bolstering far-right parties such as Reform UK. She is quoted as saying, “If you don’t like this, you won’t like what follows me.” The home secretary also highlights that Denmark’s “less in, more out” approach operates within the framework of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), though both she and her Danish counterpart want to curb what they see as “activist judges” who prioritize family life rights in deportation cases.

Opposition parties like Reform UK and some Conservative voices advocate even stricter policies, calling either for tougher detention and deportation of cross-channel arrivals or the reinstatement of schemes to send asylum seekers to countries like Rwanda—plans scrapped by Labour. Mahmood is expected to acknowledge that the UK’s borders are currently “out of control,” and while policy changes alone may not immediately restore voter confidence, she hopes that demonstrating a reduction in asylum claims will allow her party to expand its political message beyond immigration issues

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