“While some are refugees, others are migrants for economic purposes who seek to use and abuse our asylum system”, denounces the British Home Secretary
The British government announced this Monday a reform of the asylum system, with an increase from five to 20 years in the period needed to apply for permanent residence.
Other measures include restrictions on the right to family reunification and a promise to speed up deportations.
The British Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, stated that the objective is to “restore order and control at the borders” and modernize an asylum system in a context of increasing global migration.
“While some are refugees, others are migrants for economic purposes who seek to use and abuse our asylum system”, he explained, during a statement in Parliament.
A large number of asylum seekers arrived in the country legally on a visitor, work or study visa, which worsens the situation.
“The burden that has fallen on this country has been heavy”, with 400,000 asylum requests since 2021, more than 100,000 people living in accommodation paid for by the State and more than half of refugees continue to receive benefits eight years after arrival, he said.
“The pace and scale of change has destabilized communities. It is making our country a more divided place”, because “to the British public, who pay the bill, the system appears to be out of control and unfair”, he highlighted.
The minister confirmed information already provided over the weekend that the United Kingdom will be inspired by the system adopted by Denmark and make refugee status temporary, which can be renewed every two and a half years if the refugee returns to the country.
Permanent residency will now be granted after 20 years instead of the current five.
Family reunification will not be possible through the application of a single refugee if he or she arrived on a work and/or study visa and if the qualification tests are not met.
The Government will also introduce legislation so that Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to a family life can only be used in exceptional situations and not a resource to block expulsions of criminal foreigners or illegal immigrants.
In parallel, the minister announced “a new work and study visa route exclusively for refugees, with a faster path to permanent residence”.
“These measures were designed to combat the factors that attract people to this country. But reducing the number of arrivals is only half the story. We also have to enforce our rules and expel those who have no right to be here”, he stressed.
Mahmood said that voluntary returns will be privileged before moving forward with forced deportations and threatened sanctions on the countries of origin of illegal immigrants who do not cooperate in the repatriation processes.
“Today we informed Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia that, if they do not comply with international rules and standards, we will impose sanctions on them in terms of visas”, said the minister.
