Refugee status for new adult asylum claimants in the UK will become temporary and subject to review every 30 months from 2 March, under reforms announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood that the government says are designed to reduce incentives for irregular migration while maintaining protection for those fleeing war and persecution.

Under the new approach, adults and accompanied children who are granted asylum after applying from 2 March will receive 30 months’ permission to stay. Their protection will then be reviewed, with leave expected to be renewed for those who still face danger in their home country. Refugees whose countries are deemed to have become safe, and who no longer need protection, will be expected to return.

The Home Office said the changes will be introduced through amendments to the Immigration Rules later this week, forming an early step in a wider “core protection” model set out in reforms announced in November, which ministers described as the most sweeping changes to tackle illegal migration since the Second World War.

Mahmood said the UK would continue to offer sanctuary but needed to remove “pull factors” encouraging dangerous journeys and people smuggling.

“This country will always provide sanctuary to those fleeing war and persecution,” she said. “But we must also ensure our asylum system is not creating pull factors that draw people on dangerous journeys across the world, fuelling and funding the human traffickers.

“Genuine refugees will find safety in Britain, but we must also reduce the incentives that draw people here at such scale, including those without a legitimate need for protection. So, once a refugee’s home is safe and they are able to return, they will be expected to do so.

“This is a firm but fair approach, restoring order and control of Britain’s borders, while protecting those fleeing war and repression.”

The Home Office said the reforms were influenced by Denmark’s asylum system, following Mahmood’s visit there last week. Ministers pointed to Danish changes introduced over the past decade, including making refugee status temporary and subject to regular review, as well as restrictions on family reunion and longer waits for permanent settlement linked to integration and employment requirements.

According to the government, Denmark has reduced asylum claims by more than 90% over the past decade, reaching a 40-year low, after tackling what it described as factors that fuel people smuggling. The Home Office contrasted this with a 13% increase in UK asylum claims in the year to September 2025, while applications across the EU fell by 22% over the same period.

The new 30-month status replaces the previous UK framework under which refugees were typically granted five years’ leave and could apply for permanent settlement afterwards, with the Home Office describing that outcome as near-automatic and fee-free, alongside continued access to benefits and housing. Ministers have argued the previous offer was among the most generous in Western Europe and had become an incentive for irregular arrivals and high volumes of claims, including what the government described as tens of thousands of illegitimate applications each year.

Alongside the shift to time-limited protection, the government said refugees who want to stay long term will need either to renew their permission to stay through repeated reviews or to switch into a legal immigration route. Under the broader reforms announced last autumn, refugees would have to wait 20 years for settlement unless they qualify for and move on to a work or study visa.

Ministers said new routes will be created to encourage those with skills to transfer from temporary protection to mainstream legal migration pathways, with the stated aim of supporting integration and contribution through employment or education. Further detail on those visa options is expected in future changes to the Immigration Rules.

The Home Office also said it intends to expand “safe and legal routes”, with community sponsorship becoming “the new norm”, as part of a wider attempt to shift demand away from illegal crossings and towards formally organised pathways.

Family reunion for refugees remains paused while the government develops new rules, the Home Office said. Ministers indicated the redesigned policy would introduce financial and integration requirements intended to align with those expected of British citizens.

The government confirmed that the new 30-month regime will apply only to applicants who lodge claims from 2 March. Asylum seekers already in the UK will continue to have their claims assessed under the previous rules.

Unaccompanied children will continue to receive five years’ leave to remain for now, while the government considers what it described as an appropriate long-term policy for that group, with further detail promised later.

On age-dispute cases, the Home Office said robust age assessment measures are already in place to identify false claims by migrants asserting they are under 18, and that AI technology currently being tested will strengthen those measures further.

The Home Office framed the reforms as part of a strategic reset aimed at reducing irregular migration by changing the incentives within the asylum system, while continuing to renew protection for refugees whose home countries remain unsafe. The changes are likely to prompt scrutiny over how safety determinations are made at review stage and how frequently rolling reassessments will be carried out across the refugee caseload, as well as the practical impact of pausing family reunion while new criteria are developed.

Further policy and operational detail is expected when the Immigration Rules changes are laid before Parliament later this week.