Dr. Akhtar Gulfam, Editor-in-Chief, Daily Dawn, Director News Dawn TV
London: Home Minister Shabana Mahmood has announced that under the new reforms, successful refugees will now only be able to stay in the UK temporarily and new restrictions will be imposed on bringing family to the UK.
A new reform plan is being introduced in the UK under which the permanent asylum system in the country is being abolished, and most immigrants will be given ‘temporary residence’ only for so long until it is safe for them to return to their own country.
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will announce a major and fundamental change in the asylum system on the Danish model on Monday.
Under the plan, most refugees whose asylum applications are approved will only be allowed to stay in the UK temporarily and will be deported as soon as their country is deemed safe.
Shabana Mahmood is also likely to announce stricter rules for bringing refugee families to the UK.
Under the Danish system, refugees must be at least 24 years old to be able to bring their spouses.
Refugees in Denmark are usually given temporary residence permits for two years, and there is no guarantee of a permanent visa. To be granted permanent residence there, they must speak Danish and have been employed for at least three years.
If refugees visit their home country, their temporary residence can also be revoked.
Shabana Mahmood is set to warn Labour MPs who want a softer or more sympathetic approach to refugees on Monday that “if you don’t like these tough policies, you’ll find what’s coming even tougher.”
The government is under pressure to take tougher steps to reduce immigration as the so-called ‘Reform UK’ policy has become politically dangerous.
Shabana Mahmood said on Friday she was set to announce “the biggest changes to our refugee system in modern times.”
In a video posted on Xerxes, she said: “We have to reduce the number of people coming here illegally, we have to send back more people who have no right to be here.”
‘We will always be a country of refuge for those fleeing danger, but we must restore order and control.’
Under the current system, migrants who are granted refugee status are allowed to stay for five years and then can apply for permanent residence. Once granted permanent residence, they can apply for British citizenship.
The Home Secretary announced in September that asylum seekers will have to ‘earn the right’ to stay in the UK.
Migrants applying for permanent residence will have to learn a high level of English, have a clean criminal record, and do voluntary work in the community.
Under the proposals, they will also have to work, pay National Insurance, and not receive government benefits.
More than 300 charities warned Shabana Mahmood on Friday against trying to make volunteer work ‘compulsory’. Refugee organisations said in an open letter: ‘We will not work with forced volunteers.
‘We will not provide the Home Office with information on people’s voluntary time off.’
Ivor Solomon, head of the Refugee Council, rejected the idea that refugees come to the UK because of government facilities.
He said: ‘Refugees are not comparing different countries’ asylum systems to save their lives. They come here because they have family already, they have some understanding of English, or they have old ties to the UK that will help them rebuild their lives.’
He said: ‘The reality is that many people are unable to return to their country of origin even after a few years. Past governments have tried to stop them by cutting their rights, but these methods have never worked.
“They don’t stop the dangerous journey; they only increase uncertainty and keep families apart,” said Mani Rahman, CEO of the refugee organization Praxis. “Taking away basic human rights from migrants is not ‘reform’ but the first step on a dangerous path, especially in a political climate where extremist parties are campaigning for the next election.”
“Today the target is migrants, tomorrow it could be anyone who can become a political obstacle for them.”
The Labour government has also suspended the legal route for refugees to bring family members to the UK. Several organizations, including the British Red Cross, have criticized the decision, warning that it could push people to make more dangerous crossings of the English Channel.
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