UK asylum policy to impose 20-year route to permanent settlement

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Sunday outlined new asylum plans, ahead of a formal announcement on Monday, that would place refugees on a 20-year path to permanent settlement.

"Our system is particularly generous compared to other countries in Europe where, after five years, you effectively automatically settled in this country," Mahmood told Sky News.

She said the new asylum policy, aimed at tackling illegal migration, would require people granted asylum in the UK to wait 20 years before becoming eligible for permanent settlement.

"We're going to change a generations old assumption that providing refuge is permanent. In fact, we're going to make that a temporary status that will be reviewed every two and a half years," Mahmood also announced.

The changes will make refugee status temporary and regularly reviewed, allowing removals once a person’s home country is judged safe.

Modeled on Denmark’s strict immigration system, the changes reportedly aim to make the UK less appealing to illegal migrants and simplify their deportation.

"My aim is to deal with illegal migration and to stop this being an issue that is dividing our country, that is causing huge pressure across our communities. And I want to do that by reducing the number of arrivals that come on boats across the channel into our country," Mahmood explained.

She further noted they will create new safe routes in order to fulfill their obligation to help people fleeing wars and conflicts around the world.

"That's what the new suite of proposals, the most sweeping set of reforms in modern times, that's what that is designed to do," Mahmood added.