Refugees to face 20-year wait to settle permanently under asylum reforms – BBC

Report on Proposed UK Asylum Policy Reforms and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Overview of Proposed Policy Changes

The UK Home Office has announced significant reforms to the nation’s asylum policy. The proposed changes, scheduled for announcement by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, represent a fundamental shift in the pathway to permanent settlement for individuals granted asylum.

1. Extension of Settlement Period: The time required for a refugee to apply for permanent settlement, or indefinite leave to remain, will be extended from the current five years to 20 years.
2. Introduction of Temporary Protection Status: The initial five-year period of refugee status will be replaced by a shorter, two-and-a-half-year temporary status.
3. Regular Status Reviews: Following the initial temporary period, an individual’s refugee status will be subject to regular review. If their country of origin is deemed safe, they will be expected to return.

Stated Objectives and Rationale

The government’s stated rationale for these reforms is to address challenges related to migration and national cohesion. The primary objectives include:

• Deterring irregular migration, with a specific focus on reducing the number of small boat crossings.
• Managing the increasing number of asylum claims, which rose by 17% to 109,343 in the year to March.
• Unifying the country by addressing what the Home Secretary termed “illegal migration tearing our country apart.”
• Adopting a model similar to Denmark’s, which employs one of Europe’s most stringent asylum systems based on temporary protection permits.

Analysis of Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The proposed policy framework has significant implications for the UK’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those concerning inequality, justice, economic growth, and well-being.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • The 20-year waiting period for settlement risks creating a two-tier system, exacerbating inequalities between refugees and other residents. This prolonged uncertainty directly impacts an individual’s ability to integrate fully.
  • The policy’s alignment with Target 10.7, which calls for “orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration,” is contested. Critics, such as the Refugee Council, argue that creating a state of “limbo” is contrary to a well-managed or fair migration policy.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • The reforms challenge the aim of building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions (Target 16.6). A system that leaves individuals in a state of prolonged anxiety for two decades may be perceived as neither fair nor just.
  • By limiting the pathway to secure, permanent status, the policy may impede refugees’ equal access to the justice and stability that permanent residency provides, a core principle of the rule of law (Target 16.3).
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • A 20-year period of temporary status creates a significant barrier to securing stable, long-term employment and career progression, undermining Target 8.5 for full and productive employment.
  • This precarity limits the ability of refugees to contribute fully to the economy, pay taxes, and achieve economic self-sufficiency, thereby hindering inclusive economic growth.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being & SDG 1: No Poverty
  • The Refugee Council warns that the policy will leave people in “tense anxiety for many, many years,” posing a direct threat to mental health and well-being (SDG 3).
  • Instability in legal status and associated barriers to employment can increase the risk of poverty (SDG 1) for a vulnerable population unable to build a secure future.

Stakeholder Perspectives and Statistical Context

The proposal has elicited varied responses from political and civil society stakeholders.

• Government Perspective: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood asserts the reforms are essential to deterring irregular migration and fostering national unity.
• Opposition Perspective: The Liberal Democrats acknowledge the need to fix the system but stress that efficient processing of claims is paramount. The policy is expected to face opposition from within the Labour Party.
• NGO Perspective: Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, stated the policy would not act as a deterrent but would instead cause significant human distress. He advocated for a fair and timely system that allows refugees to integrate and contribute to communities.
• Migration Data:
  • Over 39,000 people have arrived in the UK via small boats in 2025.
  • This figure is higher than the total arrivals for all of 2024 (36,816) and 2023 (29,437).
  • In the last seven days, 1,069 migrants were recorded arriving in the UK.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • The article directly discusses government policy changes affecting a specific group of people: asylum seekers and refugees. The plan to extend the waiting period for permanent settlement from five to 20 years creates a distinct legal and social status for this group, impacting their long-term security and integration, which relates to reducing inequalities within and among countries.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • The core of the article is about a “major shake-up to asylum policy,” which is a function of national institutions (the Home Office). The debate around the policy’s fairness, effectiveness, and the need to “fix the disorderly asylum system” and process claims in a “timely fashion” directly relates to the goal of building effective, accountable, and just institutions.

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • The article touches upon the economic integration of refugees. The chief executive at the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, states that once a person is “found to be a refugee, they go on and they contribute to our communities and they pay back.” The new policy, by leaving people in “limbo” for 20 years, could hinder their ability to secure stable employment and fully contribute to the economy, which connects to the protection of migrant workers’ rights and their economic inclusion.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

   • The article is entirely focused on a new UK migration policy designed to manage and control asylum claims. The government’s stated aim to “reduce small boat crossings” and deter “illegal migration” is an attempt to manage migration flows. Conversely, critics argue the policy is not well-managed as it will “leave people in limbo and in tense anxiety,” questioning its fairness and effectiveness.

2. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.

   • The discussion revolves around the effectiveness of the UK’s asylum system. The mention of a “disorderly asylum system created by the Conservatives” and the need to “process claims quickly” points directly to the performance and effectiveness of the responsible government institutions. The policy change itself is a measure being implemented by a national institution to address perceived failings.

3. Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers…

   • The new policy of extending the wait for permanent residency to 20 years directly impacts the security of refugees. A prolonged temporary status can create precarious living and working conditions. The comment that refugees should be allowed to “contribute to our communities” implies that a fair and timely system enables their economic integration, which is jeopardized by the proposed long-term uncertainty.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Number of asylum claims and migrant arrivals

   • The article explicitly states, “A total of 109,343 people claimed asylum in the UK in the 12 months to March this year, a 17 percent increase on the year before.” It also provides figures for migrant arrivals via small boats: “More than 39,000 people have arrived in the UK by small boats in 2025.” These figures are direct quantitative indicators used to measure the scale of migration and the pressure on the asylum system, relevant to Target 10.7.

2. Policy and legislative changes regarding migration and asylum

   • The central topic of the article—the plan to increase the wait for permanent settlement from five to 20 years and to regularly review refugee status—is itself an indicator. It reflects a change in national policy intended to manage migration, directly relating to the implementation of “planned and well-managed migration policies” under Target 10.7.

3. Processing time for asylum claims

   • While not giving a specific number, the article implies that processing time is a key issue. The call to “process claims quickly” and for decisions to be made in a “timely fashion” suggests that the duration of the asylum process is a critical, albeit unstated, indicator of the institutional effectiveness mentioned in Target 16.6.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bbc.com