Return Required If Home Country Is Deemed Safe
Stricter Application of Human Rights Laws
The UK Labour government is significantly tightening its asylum and immigration policies, including drastically increasing the period required for refugees to obtain permanent residency from the current 5 years to 20 years.
According to BBC and Reuters on the 17th (local time), Shabana Mahmood, UK Home Secretary, announced a package of immigration and asylum system reforms titled "Restoring Order and Control" in the House of Commons.
The new measures focus on removing more migrants who do not have the right to remain in the UK, and doing so more quickly. Secretary Mahmood stated, "If an asylum application is rejected, we will take a much tougher approach to removing them."
Under the government plan, refugees will have to undergo a review of their asylum status every two years and six months instead of being granted permanent status. If their home country is deemed safe, they will be required to return. Even if they are granted asylum, they will have to wait much longer before becoming British citizens. Eligibility to apply for permanent residency will be granted only after 20 years, which is four times longer than the current 5-year requirement.
Those whose asylum applications are rejected will no longer be able to file repeated appeals. Currently, there is a backlog of over 50,000 asylum-related appeals, causing a wait time of at least one year.
The government will also expand the removal of families with minor children. The government stated, "Currently, the return of families to their home countries is not prioritized, and asylum seekers are exploiting the fact that they have minor children to avoid deportation. We will provide financial support for the return of all households to their home countries, and if they refuse, we will pursue forced repatriation."
To prevent migrants from remaining in the UK by exploiting 'suspicious relationships,' the government will also change its interpretation of human rights laws, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Provisions such as Article 8 of the ECHR, which guarantees the right to respect for family life, will be used as grounds for residence only for immediate family members.
The government also plans to revise laws that provide housing and financial support to asylum seekers. Support programs will be abolished for refugees who are able to support themselves.
The government also warned that it would suspend visa issuance to Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) if they refuse to accept the return of illegal migrants and criminals from their countries who have been ordered to be deported.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement, "Amid growing conflicts, increasing instability, and volatility, global migration is on the rise. Our asylum system has not been prepared for this and is increasingly becoming a burden on our society."
Immigration is a key issue in the UK that determines voter sentiment alongside the economy. From April last year to March this year, 109,343 people applied for asylum in the UK, a 17% increase compared to the same period the previous year. As the government has tightened immigration policy, net migration for the year to June last year dropped to 431,000, half the figure of 906,000 during the same period the previous year.
Some within the ruling Labour Party are voicing opposition to these measures. The Times reported that so far, 17 Labour MPs have publicly expressed their opposition, including a significant number of moderates within the party. MP Stella Creasy said, "There are better ways to control our borders while staying true to Labour values."
Some observers suggest that the tough asylum policy is an attempt to boost support amid declining poll numbers compared to the right-wing populist Reform UK party.
Alex Norris, Minister of State for the Home Office, was asked by reporters in the morning whether he was "using Reform UK-style language." He responded, "We are using language to address a chaotic asylum policy," and added, "We are trying to keep our borders safe and properly manage the current asylum system."
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