The UK government has announced significant changes to the asylum framework, introducing a new ‘core protection’ model that grants refugees 30 months of leave to remain instead of the current five-year period, effective from 02 March 2026.
Under the revised system, individuals granted refugee status will receive temporary permission to stay in the UK for two and a half years. Continued residence will depend on an ongoing assessment of conditions in their home countries and whether protection is still required. The reforms shift away from the expectation of long-term settlement, placing greater emphasis on periodic review.
The pathway to permanent residence will also change. Rather than qualifying for Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement) after five years, refugees may face a substantially longer route to settlement of twenty years on the route, unless they meet alternative criteria introduced under the new framework.
As part of the reforms, the government plans to create a Protection Work and Study route linked to integration to the UK and contributing to the economy. Refugees who secure employment or enrol in approved education programmes may be able to transition to this category, which could offer a clearer or shorter route toward settlement, provided specific requirements are met. Family reunion provisions are also expected to be more limited under the ‘core protection’ model, with eligibility linked more closely to the new Work and Study routes.
Overall, the reforms represent a significant shift in how refugee protection is structured in the UK, moving from a longer-term settlement model to one based on temporary leave and periodic review. The reforms will apply to asylum claims made from 02 March 2026. Transitional provisions are expected to ensure that existing claims continue to be considered under the previous framework.
Full details of how the new framework will apply in practice will be outlined once the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules are published, which is expected later today.
