Overview
- Refugee status for new adult claimants and accompanied children is now temporary, with mandatory reviews every 30 months and renewals only where protection is still needed.
- Unaccompanied minors remain on five years’ leave under a temporary exemption while a long‑term policy for this group is considered.
- The Home Office has triggered an emergency brake halting study visas for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, and pausing Afghan work visas, marking the first use of such nationality‑specific bans.
- Officials say a sharp rise in asylum claims from people entering on legal visas drove the move, with 39% of 2025 applicants arriving via study, work or other routes.
- Further elements, including a proposed 20‑year wait before applying for permanent residency, still require legislation, as charities and legal experts warn of human‑rights challenges and harm to integration.