Law Centre responds to the UK government's proposed asylum system reforms
Law Centre NI is deeply alarmed by the proposed asylum reforms announced by the Home Secretary on 17th November 2025.
These reforms run roughshod over the Refugee Convention and undermine long-standing international commitments to protect refugees. The Labour government’s plans, which draw heavily on Denmark’s much-rebuked immigration policies,[1] include reducing the initial grant of refugee status from five years to 30 months and preventing refugees from settling in the UK until they have lived in the country for 20 years.
Liz Griffith, Head of Migration Justice at the Law Centre, said:
“Details on implementation of these reforms remain unclear, however we are gravely concerned about the potential impact of these plans. These measures will not stop refugees from seeking safety; they will only strip lifesaving protections from vulnerable people who have fled war, conflict and persecution. We are also sceptical as to the workability of many of the reforms in practice. It appears the UK government is persisting in making 'policy by the press' rather than focusing on delivering a functional and humane immigration system.”
After a decades-long wait, the Executive Office finally published a Refugee Integration Strategy this year, in which it outlines its commitment to refugee integration. We urge the Northern Ireland Executive to oppose these proposals as they will hinder the integration of refugees into Northern Ireland and could risk fuelling the rising anti-migrant sentiment and racialised violence.
The Law Centre has already been contacted by refugees worried sick about what these proposals mean for them and their loved ones. It is important to note that these proposals have not yet been adopted and are not in force. Some of these changes will require legislation to be brought forward, which will require some time. No timescales have been published.
The Law Centre will be hosting free information sessions about the proposed changes for refugees and support organisations. We will provide information about this through our usual channels in due course.
Please contact migrationjustice@lawcentreni.org for any queries.
Citations:
[1] See: ‘UNHCR recommendations to Denmark on strengthening refugee protection in Denmark, Europe and globally’ (UNHCR, 2021); Marina Adami, ‘Danish refugee law draws criticism from UN, EU’ (Politico, 4 June 2021).