On Monday 17th November, the Home Secretary outlined a major shift in the profile of legal migrants that will prioritise those who contribute to the economy and play by the rules.
Who is affected?
The new changes will not apply to those who have already received refugee status or citizenship. The changes will apply to almost two million migrants who arrived in the UK from 2021, subject to consultation on transitional arrangements for borderline cases.
Impact on indefinite leave to remain
More than two million people will be affected by this law. Even those who have indefinite leave to remain will have their applications reviewed every two and a half years to see if circumstances in their country have changed; if so, they may be required to return to their country. This phase will continue for up to 20 years.
If someone receives indefinite leave to remain after 10 years, they may have to wait another 10 years to be fully settled in the UK. Many people who have never been in the system may not be aware of this.
Restrictions on certain jobs
Even when an asylum seeker has indefinite leave to remain status, they cannot do certain jobs, including:
- Civil Service general roles (only reserved jobs require citizenship)
- Cybersecurity (public sector)
- Defence engineering (MOD contractors)
- Aviation security roles
- Customs and excise investigative roles
Travel restrictions on refugee passports
Asylum seekers are unable to travel to any country. Similarly, refugees face lengthy travel restrictions and a lengthy wait to settle in the UK, making them feel unwelcome and unsafe. This constant threat of deportation leaves them feeling like they no longer have a home. For example, Saudi Arabia doesn’t accept refugee passports. While exceptions exist for Muslims to visit Mecca and Medina for Hajj and Umrah, which are spiritually significant, a Muslim unable to do so will undoubtedly feel a profound loss. Furthermore, if an immigrant has fled war or climate change and their family resides in Saudi Arabia, reuniting with them could take a lifetime or become impossible.
The importance of family and connection
During the pandemic, we realised the importance of connection. Shabana Mahmood seems to have forgotten that there are many children in the UK who are seeking asylum and have made the UK their home. Because of the new law, they could be at risk of long-term separation and miss the warmth and love of their parents.
If I talk about myself, it has been seven years since I last met my mother. I always dream about reuniting with her and think about how and when it can happen. Under the new law, family reunions now seem impossible.
Confiscation of personal belongings
This cruel law was not enough. The Home Secretary also announced that if an asylum seeker has any jewellery or valuable possession when they arrive in the UK, it will be taken away from them to pay for the cost of their cases. If someone is holding the last memory of their loved ones, this means they cannot keep it, even though they deserve to.
Changes to indefinite leave to remain
On 20th November, the Home Secretary announced changes to legal migration rules. Among them, the minimum period for being granted indefinite leave to remain will be doubled from five to ten years. This is the longest settlement period in any European country.
Refugees will no longer receive five years of protection at once. They will only be given two and a half years and must keep reapplying. Each time, the Home Office will extend it only if they agree the person still needs protection. If they decide the danger is gone, the person can be removed. This means people could spend 20 years in the UK living in constant fear of being sent back to the very place the UK once agreed was unsafe for them.
Preconditions for settlement
The Home Secretary has previously set out her preconditions for gaining settlement, including being in work, having a clean criminal record, speaking English to a high standard, and not claiming benefits. Nowadays settlement is given after five years with few conditions allowing access to public funds. Some of these conditions are family and humanitarian routs and Skilled Worker visas.
Real facts and figures
It’s heartbreaking to try to understand how the Home Secretary can reach such a level of cruelty, where she seems unable to understand the emotions and consequences caused by this.
Asylum seekers and refugees accounted for about 13% of people coming to the UK in 2024. If the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) scheme is counted as a humanitarian route, the total share rises to around 15%.
According to Europe Union facts and figures, in 2024, the countries receiving the most first-time asylum applications were:
- Germany (25.2% of first-time applicants)
- Spain (18%)
- Italy (6.6%)
- France (14.3%)
- Greece (7.6%)
The UK is not even among the top five.
The Human cost of policy
The fact is, every headline, increase in pressure, and harsher rule affects 13% of the population of the UK. The government focus should be on making more houses; bills and taxes should be reduced. Rich people should pay more taxes. More job opportunities should be created for refugees. Work on making policies for ethnic minorities where they feel safe and welcome, not in constant fear and depression.
This is not a migrant problem; it clearly reflects a racism problem. We immigrants have had enough of hatred … we can’t take more from this system.
Behind every policy and headline are real people – men, women, and children – whose lives are shaped by decisions made far from their homes.
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