UN refugee agency challenges UK plan for settlement waits of up to 30 years

The UN refugee agency has criticised a UK government plan that would leave refugees who arrive through irregular routes waiting up to 30 years for permanent settlement. UNHCR told the Guardian that longer qualifying periods, alongside temporary stay arrangements and citizenship restrictions, could weaken refugees’ stability and ability to integrate into their communities.

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood retained the measure while announcing changes that would let care workers apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years. Some refugees could shorten their wait through work or study, but small-boat arrivals and people concealed in lorries face a 10-year penalty. The Helen Bamber Foundation also condemned the proposals, arguing they would harm vulnerable refugees without deterring people seeking safety.

The dispute concerns refugees’ longer-term status, not simply whether they receive asylum. UNHCR argues that settlement helps people who cannot safely return home build secure lives. The agency welcomed announced legal routes, but the Guardian reports that these would be accessible to only a small minority of those seeking sanctuary in the UK.