Shabana Mahmood intensifies her attack on refugee rights

Last week, the Home Secretary unveiled some of the most drastic changes to immigration and asylum policies in decades – just months after suspending refugee family reunion and amid escalating global violence.

Shockingly, many of those far-reaching changes were made without any parliamentary oversight or public consultation, despite the devastating impact they will have on migrant and refugee communities and public spending.

Refugee protection made temporary

‍The government has slashed refugee protection to just 2.5 years, from 5 years previously. From 26th March on, people seeking safety in the UK will be forced to renew their asylum claims every 30 months for up to 20 years before qualifying for permanent residence. That's potentially eight separate applications – at which point asylum-seekers can be deported if the Home Office deems their home country "safe", even when countries are still facing instability, and risks may remain for certain groups.

‍The human and economic cost of these measures will be disastrous. By putting an expiration date on people's safety, the government condemns refugees to decades of instability and fear. This includes families whose children may have grown up in the UK for most of their lives and will face the prospect of deportation. It also risks pushing more and more people away from the legal system, forced to go underground.

‍Besides, this policy is a bureaucratic nightmare that will cause significant delays and costs to an already broken system. Its implementation will come at an estimated £872 million over a decade (Refugee Council, 2025). This is money that could be better spent supporting newly granted refugees to integrate and opening safe routes to reduce dangerous channel crossings.  

‍Forcible removal of children

The Home Secretary has announced her department is now prepared to use force, including handcuffs, to remove entire families whose claims have been refused, including children – something even the previous government refused to do.

We know from supporting families through visa applications that Home Office decision-making is notoriously flawed, often refusing legitimate cases for obscure reasons. With appeal rights also being weakened, families have little recourse when wrongly rejected.

‍New student visa bans

‍The government has banned student visas for people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan – countries that are all torn apart by war, instability or persecution — as well as skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals. For many, studying abroad is the only chance to rebuild their lives in safety, including for Afghan women fleeing Taliban oppression, under which they have no access to education.

The Home Secretary claims there has been “abuse” of student visas to seek asylum in the UK — but this is a situation that her own government has created by shutting down the last few safe and legal routes for people from these countries to reach the UK. The only thing this discriminatory decision will do is push more people towards smugglers and deadly journeys.

‍Duty to support asylum-seekers revoked

‍On 5th March, the Home Secretary revoked the legal duty to provide destitute asylum seekers with support and accommodation while their claims are processed, often for months or years.

‍Most refugees are banned from working or face significant barriers accessing employment – the Home Office’s decision ignores this reality and will only push more people towards homelessness and destitution. It’s also incredibly shocking to hear the Home Secretary fan the flame of anti-refugee sentiment by calling asylum support "handouts", knowing well that asylum-seekers are left to survive on £8 a week, often in squalid hotel rooms and facing malnutrition or other food-related illnesses.

‍This broken system needs to be fixed – but it’s the government’s duty to do so, not that of local authorities or NGOs, who will now be expected to support anyone whom the Home Secretary decides to refuse accommodation to.  

‍What now?

‍These measures represent a fundamental assault on refugee rights, that will tear lives apart and harm people and children who’ve fled unimaginable danger.

Far from the cost-cutting reforms they’re being sold as, these will come with a huge price tag for the taxpayer. It's clear the Government's priorities aren't making our immigration system cheaper or more efficient, but in bringing migration numbers down at all costs to pander to the far-right.

‍ At Safe Passage International, we will continue to push back against hostile policies, providing community spaces for young refugees and vital legal support for families seeking to reunite. You can support this fight by making a donation today.