UK to Toughen Refugee Settlement Rules: Longer Wait & Family Reunion Ban Confirmed

Refugees hoping to settle permanently in the UK will face stricter rules under the government’s planned overhaul of the asylum system.

Currently, refugees can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years, but this will soon change to a longer period, with applicants expected to “contribute to the country” before being granted settlement rights.

The government has also confirmed that the suspended scheme allowing refugees to automatically bring close relatives to the UK will be permanently scrapped. Instead, family reunions will be subject to the same restrictions as other migrants, such as meeting the £29,000 income threshold and proving suitable accommodation.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, speaking ahead of the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, said the changes marked “fundamental reforms” to show that settlement “must be earned.” The proposals mirror Labour’s wider immigration policies, which include tougher rules for legal migrants, such as higher English language requirements, a clean criminal record, and community volunteering.

However, critics argue the reforms could make matters worse. The Refugee Council warned the changes would drive “more desperate people into the arms of smugglers,” while the Conservative opposition dismissed the new measures as “another Starmer gimmick.”

The reforms come as Labour faces pressure over the continued surge of small boat crossings in the Channel. Despite pledges to “stop the chaos” since taking office in July 2024, numbers remain high.

Meanwhile, at the Copenhagen summit, Starmer is expected to unveil £3 million in funding to encourage people in the Western Balkans to stay in the region and an additional £5.75 million to support Italy’s Rome Process, aimed at curbing migration from Africa to Europe. He will also discuss potential reforms to the European Convention on Human Rights.

With political pressure mounting at home and abroad, the new settlement rules signal one of the most significant shifts in UK refugee policy in decades.