(MENAFN) London is preparing to drastically reduce protections for asylum seekers and extend the waiting time to apply for permanent residency to two decades, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told a media outlet.

She emphasized that the UK is struggling to cope with a consistent flow of new arrivals.

Currently, under rules introduced in 2005, refugees in Britain are granted five years of status before they can request indefinite leave to remain, permanent residence, or citizenship.

Mahmood intends to cut this initial period by half and implement regular evaluations to determine whether individuals still qualify for asylum. Refugees from countries considered safe would be required to return home.

For those entering the UK illegally, the wait to apply for indefinite leave would increase to 20 years. “Illegal migration is tearing our country apart,” Mahmood said. “If we don’t sort this out, I think our country becomes much more divided.”

Asylum applications in Britain have reached unprecedented levels, with around 111,000 claims submitted in the year ending June 2025, according to government figures.

The number of claimants has nearly doubled since 2021, a Home Office report revealed.

Legally arriving refugees would face a 10-year waiting period. However, the proposed policy would allow skilled refugees to reduce this waiting time by participating in “specific” work or study programs.

“It will be essentially a system whereby the more you contribute, you can bring forward that period,” Mahmood said.

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