Saturday 15/November/2025 – 12:25 PM
Shabana Mahmood, the new British Muslim Home Secretary, has decided to abolish the principle of permanent asylum in the United Kingdom, as the minister announces, on Monday, a new reform package that eliminates the automatic right to permanent residence for refugees who are granted asylum in Britain.
The minister describes this package as the biggest changes the asylum system has witnessed in the modern era, and aims to increase deportations and reduce Britain’s attractiveness for immigrants.
Britain and the abolition of permanent asylum
Currently, asylum seekers who obtain refugee status receive permanent settlement after five years almost automatically. As for the new proposals, refugees will be granted only temporary residency, subject to periodic review, with the possibility of deporting them if officials deem that their homelands are safe to return.
These changes are based on the Danish model, where the refugee initially obtains temporary residency for two years. The center-left Danish government was able to reduce asylum requests to their lowest level in 40 years, in addition to succeeding in deporting 95% of rejected asylum seekers.
