The Home Office has confirmed the most radical change to the UK’s asylum regime in two decades. Under regulations laid before Parliament on 24 November 2025, refugees granted protection in the UK will now receive only temporary permission to stay that must be renewed every 30 months. Only after four renewals—20 years in total—will they become eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.
For the 160,000 people who have obtained refugee status since 2021, the announcement is a severe jolt. Around 10,000 of them were within months of meeting the previous five-year residence requirement and had already begun preparing settlement applications. Charities warn that repeated extensions will trap refugees in legal limbo, making it harder to secure jobs, housing and bank accounts and to reunite with family members. The Refugee Council estimates that mandatory re-applications could generate 1.6–2 million individual case reviews over the next decade, at a cost to the taxpayer of £1.3 billion.
![UK asylum reform extends path to permanent settlement from five to 20 years]()
Ministers argue the policy will deter fraudulent claims and encourage returns once a refugee’s country of origin is deemed safe. Speaking in the Commons, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the goal is to create “a tougher but fairer system that protects the genuinely persecuted while discouraging those seeking to game our rules”. Opposition parties, business groups and religious leaders have condemned the change as economically counter-productive, warning employers will lose access to talented individuals who cannot put down roots.
In practical terms, HR and mobility teams that employ refugees will have to diarise renewal dates, budget for repeated legal fees and brace for additional Home Office processing delays. Travel managers should note that a refugee’s UK travel document will also be issued for only five years at a time, matching the limited leave period. Employers are advised to carry out a fresh right-to-work check after each extension is granted to avoid potential penalties.
Strategically, the reform signals a broader tightening of the UK’s humanitarian migration channels that could influence corporate social-impact programmes and international assignment planning. Firms involved in refugee employment schemes will need to redesign onboarding and pastoral support to reflect the new 20-year horizon.
For the 160,000 people who have obtained refugee status since 2021, the announcement is a severe jolt. Around 10,000 of them were within months of meeting the previous five-year residence requirement and had already begun preparing settlement applications. Charities warn that repeated extensions will trap refugees in legal limbo, making it harder to secure jobs, housing and bank accounts and to reunite with family members. The Refugee Council estimates that mandatory re-applications could generate 1.6–2 million individual case reviews over the next decade, at a cost to the taxpayer of £1.3 billion.
Ministers argue the policy will deter fraudulent claims and encourage returns once a refugee’s country of origin is deemed safe. Speaking in the Commons, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the goal is to create “a tougher but fairer system that protects the genuinely persecuted while discouraging those seeking to game our rules”. Opposition parties, business groups and religious leaders have condemned the change as economically counter-productive, warning employers will lose access to talented individuals who cannot put down roots.
In practical terms, HR and mobility teams that employ refugees will have to diarise renewal dates, budget for repeated legal fees and brace for additional Home Office processing delays. Travel managers should note that a refugee’s UK travel document will also be issued for only five years at a time, matching the limited leave period. Employers are advised to carry out a fresh right-to-work check after each extension is granted to avoid potential penalties.
Strategically, the reform signals a broader tightening of the UK’s humanitarian migration channels that could influence corporate social-impact programmes and international assignment planning. Firms involved in refugee employment schemes will need to redesign onboarding and pastoral support to reflect the new 20-year horizon.
