By Wilson Adekumola
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to unveil plans to fast-track the deportation of illegal migrants as part of a major overhaul of the United Kingdom’s asylum system.
In a statement to MPs, Mahmood will propose ending multiple appeals against removal and revising legislation related to human rights law.
Asylum will be granted on a temporary basis only, with successful applicants required to return home if their country is later deemed safe. Permanent settlement will only be possible after 20 years.
Mahmood will also announce that the UK will halt visa issuance to nationals from three African countries if their governments fail to improve cooperation on deportations of illegal migrants.
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mahmood said, “This is a moral mission for me, because I can see illegal migration is tearing our country apart, it is dividing communities.”
Shadow immigration minister Matt Vickers told BBC Breakfast on Monday that the plans were “a small step in the right direction,” but argued that a stronger “deterrent” was needed. He added that the Conservatives would go further by deporting failed asylum seekers “within a week” of arriving in the UK.
The proposed reforms have drawn criticism from some Labour MPs. Rachael Maskell described the direction as “completely the wrong direction” on immigration.
The government aims to reduce the number of arrivals via small boats and to speed up the deportation of failed asylum seekers and foreign criminals, while making it more challenging for successful applicants to remain.
Under the new rules, people will only be allowed one appeal; if it fails, they will face deportation.
The UK will adopt a Danish-style system, creating an independent body to expedite the removal of foreign criminals and cases with little chance of success through the appeals system.
Mahmood also intends to reform how human rights legislation, including Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to family life, is applied in migration courts. Only immediate family members, such as a parent or child, will be eligible to use Article 8 as grounds to stay.
The government also plans reforms to Article 3 of the ECHR, which protects individuals from inhuman or degrading treatment. Officials argue it has been misused to block the deportation of serious criminals due to unmet healthcare needs.
Similarly, the Home Office said the Modern Slavery Act will be tightened to prevent last-minute claims from delaying removal.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the reforms would stop “endless appeals” and increase the removal of “those with no right to be here.”
Mahmood highlighted the scale of the immigration challenge, saying the reforms would allow the government to accelerate removals of those with no right to remain.
She added, “To maintain the generosity that allows us to provide sanctuary, we must restore order and control.”
She also announced plans to create new legal pathways for refugees through work and study programs. Under the new measures, successful asylum seekers will face tighter restrictions, with cases reviewed every two and a half years. If their home country is deemed safe, they will be returned.
Permanent residence eligibility will increase from five to 20 years, and only immediate family members—parents and children, will be allowed to join them. Housing support and weekly allowances will no longer be guaranteed.
Asylum claims in the UK reached a record high, with around 111,000 applications in the year to June 2025. The appeals system currently faces a backlog exceeding 50,000 cases, with waiting times of at least a year.
Maskell warned that many Labour MPs were “really concerned,” emphasizing the importance of a strong human rights framework and describing “reordering our relationship with the ECHR” as “a step too far.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage remarked that the home secretary “sounds like a Reform supporter,” but lamented, “It’s a shame that the Human Rights Act, ECHR and her own backbenchers mean that this will never happen.”
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson called for a focus on processing claims quickly and accurately, and swiftly deporting those without the right to remain.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, cautioned that the 20-year requirement could “leave people in limbo and in tense anxiety for many, many years.”
According to The Times, the threat of a visa ban for Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo follows reports that thousands of illegal migrants and criminals from these countries are in the UK. A Home Office source explained that the countries are being targeted “for their unacceptably low cooperation and obstructive returns processes.”
