Immigration, UK changes rules: 'Temporary political asylum'

The reform is an attempt by the Labour government in crisis of popularity to regain support in the electorate and stem the rise of Reform, the party led by Nigel Farage who has been leading in the polls for months, in part due to its hard line on immigration.

The Labour is also concerned about the rising cost of accommodating migrants, who are housed in hotels and maintained, since they are not allowed to work. In recent months there have been many protests outside the reception centres.

Almost 110 thousand people have applied for asylum in the past year, a 17% increase, while since the beginning of 2025 over 38 thousand migrants have landed illegally on British shores after crossing the English Channel. The number of legal immigrants, however, is much higher: last year 431 thousand foreigners arrived with legal residence or work permits.

Within the Labour Party there is already controversy. Several MPs have accused Mahmood of 'performative cruelty', especially for the new rule that even those who have received asylum because they come from a country at war can be deported at any time within twenty years if the conflict at home is resolved. This will leave immigrants and their families in 'permanent limbo', according to critics. If enough Labour MPs vote against the reform, the law may not be passed by Parliament even though Labour has a strong majority.

In addition to the tightening of immigration, the government also threatened to stop granting visas to citizens of Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo if those governments do not start accepting their citizens deported from the UK because they are illegal immigrants or convicted of criminal acts.