Twenty Years to Settlement

How the UK’s new asylum system is reshaping the the futures of refugees

On Monday 17 November 2025, the home secretary announced shocking reforms to the UK’s asylum system with the aims of regaining control and order by making the UK less appealing for refugees. The new strategies implemented will end the automatic right to permanent settlement after 5 years. This is now the longest in Europe. Ministers supporting this change argue that the previous asylum system is what has strained communities financially, socially and politically but these reforms ignite debate over fairness, moral responsibility and the UK’s role in protecting refugees. 

For refugees, these reforms mean they will be provided with little support and live in uncertainty for longer periods. The wait for permanent settlement being increased to 20 years will leave refugees in a state of constant anxiety which will be worsened by their limited access to resources. Losing financial and housing support may push them into low paid, risky work and they will be left to navigate these complex systems with much less support. This undermines previous efforts toward creating more accessible routes to citizenship and raises concerns about whether this is prioritising deterrence over protection. Scotland's social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville openly criticised these reforms, warning that they will “lead to less community cohesion and destitution for more people”.

Are these measures truly intended to strengthen the asylum system or are they a calculated move to appeal to right-wing voters?

Supporters argue that this will alleviate pressure on local communities financially and socially as these reforms will discourage irregular migration, establish more control over refugee arrivals and address the backlog of cases which is said to have reached up to 70,532 this year. Asylum minister Alex Norris expressed his support for these measures and made it clear that he believes this will restore order and control at the borders. Supporters trust that by strengthening and clarifying the process refugees must go through to become a legal citizen, the government can ease pressure on welfare budgets while building greater social stability and reduce tensions. The new measures represent the UK’s dedication to improving the welfare of British citizens whilst continuing to support refugees. 

At the centre of these reforms is the belief that a clearer, more structured pathway to citizenship could ease financial pressures while also strengthening public trust in the system. Supporters argue that by limiting irregular entry and focusing on those who follow legal routes, the government can encourage better integration and reassure communities that migration is being managed fairly. This may look like offering protection to refugees who comply with established procedures, while ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed. Advocates see this as a way of balancing compassion with responsibility, safeguarding national welfare without abandoning humanitarian commitments. 

At the centre of these reforms is the idea that a more structured pathway to citizenship will not only reduce financial strain, but it could also build more accountability and trust in the system. By limiting irregular entry and ensuring that those who remain are better integrated into society, the reforms will help communities feel more secure and confident in the government’s ability to manage migration effectively.  These measures can create a balance between compassion and control by offering protection to those who comply with the legal route need while ensuring that resources are allocated responsibly. 

 However, short-term stress on housing and public services is likely to rise as government support for migrants will be limited and demand will be difficult to predict as the legal status of refugees is highly variable. As government assistance will be scaled back, the responsibility will lie more on local councils, charities and local groups which could increase social tensions. This increased uncertainty may make it more difficult to plan for healthcare, housing and education as those who provide these will find it difficult to anticipate the population of refugees and for how long they will be in the UK for. While these reforms may promise long-term control over migration, for some communities social tensions may rise if services are strained any further. 

Beyond the immediate pressures of housing and service provision, the reforms raise deeper questions about fairness and whether they are primarily designed as a deterrent to migrants rather than a pathway to integration. Under the new framework, the automatic right to family reunification has been removed, individuals who are capable of working but currently unemployed may be denied access to housing and financial support, and deportations to certain countries have resumed. Taken together, these measures suggest that while the route to citizenship has become increasingly complex and restrictive, the process of deportation has been made significantly easier, shifting the balance away from inclusion and toward exclusion.