The United Kingdom Government will reduce the protection granted to refugees, who will be “forced to return to their countries of origin once they are tried”the Ministry of the Interior has announced. This measure is part of a series of reforms by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labor executive that will be finalized next week, with the purpose of reducing the number of migrants arriving in the country.
The government also reported that will eliminate automatic access to social aid for asylum seekers. The measures respond to criticism that boosted Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party, which has been leading the polls for months. The measures will be specified on Monday before parliament by the Minister of the Interior, Shabana Mahmood.
The ministry maintains that, “thanks to the most generous conditions in the United Kingdom”, refugees can now settle permanently, free of charge, after five years in the United Kingdom, “without contributing” to the country. The new system will reduce the length of your stay from five years to 30 months, and will multiply by four – from five to 20 years – the period necessary to apply for permanent residenceaccurate.
Pressure on Downing Street
The Starmer government, which came to power in the summer of 2024, is under almost daily pressure to stop migrant arrivals and restrict their rights. This summer there were numerous demonstrations in front of hotels that house asylum seekers. A rally organized by the far right in London in mid-September drew up to 150,000 people, according to police.
In this context, the Starmer government promised to reduce the number of migrants crossing the English Channel. Since January 1, 39,292 people have disembarked on English coasts after the dangerous crossing, a figure that exceeds that of 2024.
