(MENAFN) London is preparing to dramatically reduce refugee protections and implement a two-decade waiting period for permanent residency applications under a sweeping immigration reform, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood revealed to media. Officials cite challenges managing persistent migrant arrivals.

Current regulations established in 2005 grant refugees in Britain five years of protected status before eligibility to seek indefinite leave to remain—equivalent to permanent residency—and subsequent citizenship. Mahmood proposes halving that initial protection window while instituting periodic evaluations to determine continued asylum qualification. Individuals whose origin nations are classified as stable would face deportation orders.

Refugees entering through unauthorized channels would see their indefinite leave application timeline extended fourfold to 20 years. "Illegal migration is tearing our country apart," Mahmood stated. "If we don't sort this out, I think our country becomes much more divided."

Asylum requests in Britain have surged to unprecedented levels, with approximately 111,000 petitions submitted in the year ending June 2025, official statistics show. Applicant numbers have nearly doubled since 2021, a Home Office analysis confirmed.

Legal arrivals would confront a 10-year waiting requirement. The framework would permit skilled refugees to accelerate this timeline by pursuing "specific" employment or educational pathways. "It will be essentially a system whereby the more you contribute, you can bring forward that period," Mahmood explained.

The restructuring would eliminate the government's legal obligation to provide asylum seeker assistance. Refugees receiving work authorization would forfeit housing benefits and weekly financial support, with aid terminated for any legal violations.

Mahmood characterized the existing framework as "broken" and "unfair." She has repeatedly cautioned that the UK is losing border sovereignty, arguing last month that failure to reestablish control would undermine public confidence in state institutions.

The announcement arrives amid surging popularity for the anti-immigration and EU-skeptical Reform Party, headed by MP Nigel Farage. A September survey revealed the party commands 35% support among Britons, with Labour at 20% and the Conservatives at 17%.

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