New UK rules make refugee settlement more difficult

The UK government has announced that migrants who receive asylum will no longer automatically qualify for settlement or family reunion rights. The move is part of tougher immigration policies aimed at reducing illegal arrivals, especially those crossing the Channel in small boats from France.

Currently, refugees can apply for permanent residence after five years. Under the new rules, permanent residence will not be guaranteed. Instead, applicants will face a longer process where they must prove their contribution to the UK.

In a statement, the government said the changes would end an “unfair system” where people arriving illegally had greater settlement rights than those using legal routes, or even British citizens.

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined stricter settlement conditions for all migrants. These include speaking English, having no criminal record, making social security contributions, not claiming benefits, and volunteering in their communities. The government also plans to double the qualifying period for permanent residence from five years to ten.

The new rules will also end the automatic right for refugees to bring their families to Britain. Family reunion applications were already suspended in September. The government added that refugees would still receive “core protections” but did not explain how long they must wait to apply for residence. More details will be shared later this year.

Meanwhile, tensions over asylum seekers remain high in parts of the UK. In August, a British district council won a case to temporarily remove asylum seekers from a hotel in Essex after protests erupted there. The case followed the arrest of an Ethiopian asylum seeker, who has denied charges of sexual assault and awaits trial.

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