“Legislation will be
introduced to increase
confidence in the security
of the immigration and asylum systems”
- Radical reform is needed to address the scale of illegal
arrivals and increase the Government's ability to remove those
with no right to be here. This legislation will bring into effect
the main reforms announced in the Restoring Order and Control
statement in November 2025, the most significant policy proposals
on asylum in a generation.
- The Government will build on the changes already made –
making refugee status temporary and securing co-operation from a
number of countries who had previously refused to take back those
with no right to be in the UK. We will restore order and control
to the immigration system: speeding up the removal and
deportation of foreign criminals and those with no right to be
here, and reducing the pull factors driving illegal migration.
- The UK is an open, tolerant and generous country that
celebrates diversity and wants those values reflected in its
institutions – that has not, and will not, change. But restoring
control at our borders is vital for maintaining confidence in
those values.
What does the
Bill do?
- Claiming asylum in Britain today is more attractive than
elsewhere in Europe –surging by 74 per cent since 2021, compared
to a 26 per cent rise across the European Union (EU). Over
400,000 people have claimed asylum in that time, with more than
100,000 currently in taxpayer-funded accommodation at a cost of
£4 billion last year.
- The Government has cut £1 billion from the asylum bill,
increased returns by 31 per cent in the 19 months since July 2024
compared with the 19 months previously, and pledged to open new
safe and legal routes as an alternative to dangerous small boat
crossings. But we must go further to restore order and control,
whilst also offering sanctuary to those in need and genuinely
fleeing danger.
TheBill will:
Create a fair but firm
asylum system
- Introduce a new asylum model based on contribution,
integration, and respect for UK laws. It will build on reforms
enacted in March 2026 to ensure that whilst protection will be
provided, entitlements will need to be earned.
- Replace the various forms of protection with a single ‘core
protection' model. This will simplify decision-making; reduce
the number of legal challenges and reduce costs by
incentivising refugees to work.
- Define in law when protection can be revoked – making clear
it is only for those who remain at risk in their home
countries, and who obey UK laws.
- Require asylum seekers receiving taxpayer-funded
accommodation and other support to contribute to the cost borne
by the British taxpayer once they are able to do so.
Scale up the removal of those with no right to be in the
UK and ensure immigration rules are enforced
- Create a new independent appeals body. This will deliver an
appeals system that is fast, fair and restores public
confidence. It will be staffed by professionally trained
adjudicators and, while decisions will be fully independent,
the new body will be integrated into the end-to-end immigration
system to ensure cases flow through quickly to removal where
appeals are unsuccessful.
- Enable immediate forced removal of those who have exhausted
all appeals.
- Strengthen age assessment to root out false claims by those
claiming to be under 18 and better safeguard genuine children.
Restore order and control to the immigration system and
ensure it operates fairly and effectively
- Tighten the application of Article 8 of the European
Convention on Human Rights to prevent exploitation of the
system and ensure that the public interest
carries proper weight in
immigration decisions.
Define family life, to ensure that family is limited to a core
family unit, such as spouses, parents, and children, to prevent
dubious legal challenges on the
grounds of family
life.
- Reform the modern slavery legislative framework to clearly
set out the Government's obligations,
enabling it to address potential misuse while
maintaining essential protections. This includes addressing
late presentation of modern slavery experience, which can
significantly increase the time taken to identify individuals
and move them through the system.
- Provide law enforcement with enhanced tools to tackle
exploitation, and embedding provisions to ensure children are
identified and supported more effectively.
Territorial extent and
application
- The Bill will extend and apply to the whole of the UK.
Key facts
-
UK asylum
claims are
up by 74
per cent
since 2021, while the EU has
seen a 26 per cent increase in the same period. Between
2021-25, 450,000 asylum claims have been made, while 32,000
asylum-related returns have been carried out in the same
period.
-
107,000 asylum seekers are currently receiving state
support, the vast majority of whom (103,000) are in
asylum accommodation. This cost £4 billion last year.
-
In 2025,
there were
48,408 grants
of refugee
status and
4,787 grants
of Humanitarian
Protection. Introducing a single form of
protection will simplify asylum decision-making and clarify the
entitlements afforded to those in need of protection.
-
Article 8 rights are being used to stop removal of
those who are living here illegally. From January to
September 2022, 86 per cent of people who raised rights-based
applications while in detention awaiting removal were released.