The United Nations refugee agency has stated that the UK government's plan to extend the waiting period for permanent settlement to as much as 30 years raises significant concerns. This strategy was revealed earlier this week by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. While she announced some softening of previous immigration measures, her office retained several rigorous rules established last year.
Under the new framework, care workers have been granted a specific exemption, allowing them to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years. However, the government has maintained strict requirements for individuals who arrived in the country through irregular means, such as small boats. These applicants may now face a waiting period of up to 30 years before they can settle permanently.
UNHCR, which holds international responsibility for refugees, told The Guardian that the decision to increase the waiting time for those who arrived irregularly is likely to be detrimental. While refugees can reduce the maximum 30-year limit by entering employment or education, a 10-year penalty applies to those who arrive via small boats or hidden in lorries instead of using safe and legal routes. The government has significantly reduced the number of legal routes available, and although new ones have been announced, only a small minority of asylum seekers are expected to access them.
The agency welcomed the creation of new legal pathways but emphasized that the extended qualifying period for settlement causes major concern. This is particularly true when viewed alongside short-term stay arrangements and previous changes that would prevent many refugees from ever accessing citizenship. UNHCR noted that these combined measures are likely to harm refugees' sense of security, belonging, and stability, while also impacting their ability to contribute to their new communities.
The agency stressed that refugees are distinct from general migrants, having fled their home countries because they cannot rely on protection there or safely return. For this group, safety extends beyond the initial grant of asylum, and settlement plays a crucial role in their long-term well-being.
Kamena Dorling, director of policy at the Helen Bamber Foundation, also voiced deep alarm and disappointment regarding the announcement. She described the 'earned settlement' policy as likely to cause profound and lasting harm, especially to survivors of torture, trafficking, and other forms of extreme cruelty. Dorling argued that the government had a clear opportunity to modify its approach after receiving extensive evidence about the policy's devastating consequences but instead chose to double down on its strategy.
She stated that the policy will damage the lives and futures of thousands of men, women, families, and children, while also harming wider integration and social cohesion. Dorling called the extension of the qualifying period for settlement simply inhumane.
Dorling added that the new rules will not deter people fleeing war, persecution, torture, and violence who are fighting for their lives. When legal routes remain severely limited, she predicted that individuals will continue to take desperate measures to reach safety. Consequently, the policy will punish those who have already endured unimaginable harm, leaving recognized refugees facing decades of uncertainty, insecurity, and fear.
