Key Changes Under Labour’s Radical Asylum Reform

The six key changes under Labour's radical asylum overhaul

Home Secretary to announce sweeping changes on Monday to reform what she called a 'broken' immigration system

Here, we break down exactly what the Home Office is proposing.

Ending automatic permanent protection

At present, refugees are granted five years of refugee status before being able to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which provides access to public funds, an unrestricted right to work and, eventually, citizenship.


The five-year period functions as the point at which protection effectively becomes permanent, with most applicants progressing to ILR unless they have committed serious offences.

Mahmood intends to replace this with an entirely temporary system. All refugee status will be time-limited, with mandatory reviews every 30 months to determine whether protection is still required.

Those whose home countries are assessed as safe will be required to return immediately, ending what ministers describe as the “automatic path” to long-term settlement.

The Home Office also plans to remove any presumption that protection will be renewed, meaning individuals will need to demonstrate an ongoing need for asylum at each review.

Ministers say the change brings the UK closer to Denmark, where temporary residency permits typically last two years and must be repeatedly renewed. 

Denmark abolished the expectation that extensions would be granted, and has used the system to begin returning people to countries where the security situation has improved. 

Government sources have argued that the Danish approach contributed to successful asylum claims falling to a 40-year low and believe a similar structure in the UK will reduce incentives for irregular migration.

20-year settlement route for people arriving illegally

A central change will be a new 20-year qualifying period for permanent residence for those who arrive in the UK via irregular routes and later

Our system is particularly generous compared to other countries in Europe, where, after five years, you’re effectively automatically settled in this country. We will change that,” Mahmood told Sky News.

She said the extended pathway is intended to “change the assumptions” of those considering crossing the Channel.

There will be limited mitigations. Mahmood said that skilled refugees will be able to shorten the period if they enter “specific” work or study routes, saying: “The more you contribute, you can bring forward that [20-year] period.” 

It is also expected that a separate 10-year pathway will be created for those who arrive legally under new designated settlement schemes.

Scrapping the statutory duty to provide asylum support

Mahmood will also repeal the UK’s legal duty to provide asylum support, a requirement derived from a 2005 EU directive. 

Currently, asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are guaranteed accommodation and a weekly allowance of at least £49.18 per person, or £9.95 in catered settings.

A Home Office spokesperson told The Guardian: “Automatic handouts for those seeking refuge will end… Support will no longer be a given; it becomes a discretionary power.” The spokesperson added that the Home Office will be able to deny support to people who can work but do not, people with assets, those who breach removal directions, those who work illegally or those who disrupt accommodation settings.

Mahmood told The Sunday Times: “There are some people who currently receive asylum support who can work, who have the right to work, and we want them to work.”

Ministers reportedly do not currently plan to expand the right to work, meaning most asylum seekers would still be unable to access employment and therefore unlikely to lose support. 

Approximately 100,000 people are in the asylum support system, including around 8,500 who have the right to work because they entered on visas prior to claiming asylum.

Reforms to human rights provisions

Another part of the package focuses on how Article 8 of the ECHR, covering the right to family life, is applied in immigration decisions.

Mahmood is set to instruct courts to give greater emphasis to public safety when balancing deportation cases. 

Renters Rights Act: All You Need To Know

Renting in England just changed forever. The Renters' Rights Act has officially been signed into law by the King. Here are the most important changes you need to know.

Section 21, the no-fault eviction, is now gone. Landlords won't be able to evict a tenant without a legal reason.


Landlords won't be able to accept anything other than the price advertised. Fixed-term tenancies are now over. All tenancies will be rolling and renters can leave at any time by giving two months' notice.


Advanced payment is now scrapped. Landlords cannot ask for more than one month's rent, so any six to twelve months in advance payment will no longer be legal. Rent hikes will now be stricter.


Landlords can only raise the rent one time per year by giving two months' notice, and renters can challenge this every time. No more pet refusal. You can't be refused a pet without legal reason, and if a landlord does refuse, it will ultimately be up to the ombudsman or court to decide.




Higher standards. Every home must meet the new decent home standards, so landlords must provide a home that's safe, well-maintained, and has modern facilities. These laws have been passed, however it can take up to six months to be put into place, and no one needs a new tenancy agreement, they'll automatically apply on the commencement date.

Student to be deported for excess working!

 

Student loses challenge to cancellation of leave for excess working

The Court of Appeal has dismissed a judicial review brought by a student against the cancellation of leave for working in excess of the 20 hours per week permitted under his leave. The case is R (Singaram) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Rev2) [2025] EWCA Civ 1375.

The claimant entered the UK on a student visa on 5 October 2022. His leave was subject to the condition that he was not permitted to work more than 20 hours in term time.

The Home Office had been tipped off about students working in breach of their leave. On 7 November 2023 immigration officers attended an off licence where they encountered the claimant who said that he was training there by doing stock filling from 9am to 6pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. He said that he was also working 20 hours a week at Tesco.

The claimant was then arrested, cautioned in relation to a suspected breach of a condition of his leave. He was detained and interviewed and then his leave was cancelled with immediate effect for failing to comply with a condition of his leave by working more than 20 hours per week.

The claimant sought judicial review of the decision on the basis that it was procedurally unfair and did not comply with Balajigari v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] EWCA Civ 673.

The High Court refused permission for judicial review, but this was later granted by the Court of Appeal who directed that the claim be retained there.

The court accepted that the immigration officer was obliged to act in a procedurally fair manner when considering whether to cancel the claimant’s leave, a decision with serious consequences for him. The court identified that in this case there were two essential parts to the exercise of power to cancel leave. The first was that the person must have failed to comply with a condition of their leave, and second that there was a discretion as to whether and when to cancel leave.

With reference to Balajigari, the Court of Appeal said that “procedural fairness required both that the Secretary of State indicate clearly to the individual that he has that suspicion (i.e. that the individual’s presence in the United Kingdom was undesirable) and to allow the individual an opportunity to respond to matters going to whether the discretion should be exercised”.

On the first point, the court said that the matter “was a simple, straightforward one” of whether or not the claimant had worked more than 20 hours per week in term time. The claimant was given every opportunity to explain his working situation and there was no procedural unfairness here.

The court said that the position on the second point, on the exercise of discretion to cancel the claimant’s leave, was more nuanced. However, the court held that:


Any failure to comply with the principles of procedural fairness by not making it clear to the claimant that he had an opportunity to make representations as to why his leave should not be cancelled immediately, or at a later date, did not in fact result in any prejudice. As a result of the questions that were asked during the decision-making process, the claimant did, in fact, provide the information that he wanted the decision-maker to consider when deciding whether to cancel his leave immediately. In the circumstances, there was no, or no material, breach of the principles of procedural fairness and certainly none that vitiated the decision.

The judicial review was dismissed.

Couple ‘hiding’ a 5-bedroom Croydon house ordered to hand keys back on Rotherhithe council home

 

Couple ‘hiding’ a 5-bedroom Croydon house ordered to hand keys back on Rotherhithe council home
The couple were ordered pay over £16,500 by the courts


A couple who were handed the keys to a three-bedroom council property in Rotherhithe just weeks after buying a five-bedroom home in Croydon have been ordered by the courts to give it back to Southwark.

Southwark Council said Uchenna and Nkeiruka Nzekwe secured the tenancy of the property on Fir Trees Close off Salter Road in June 2021.


A year later in October 2022 the council started investigating the couple after receiving an anonymous tip off that no that no children had ever lived at the address.

After doing some digging, investigators discovered that the Nzekwes had bought a large family home in Croydon just three weeks before they were granted the council tenancy, which they had not declared on their housing application.

The council said that when Mr Nzekwe was asked in February 2024 why he hadn’t mentioned the property, he claimed that the Croydon home was being held ‘in trust’ for his daughter, and therefore didn’t need to be declared.

He was then told by the council to hand back the keys to the Rotherhithe home, or risk facing legal action.

Instead, he said he would seek to defend his claim to the property.

However the council said the couple failed to submit a formal defence and were banned from participating in the court hearing.

On 1 October, following a hearing at Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court, the judge granted the council possession of the property and ordered Uchenna and Nkeiruka to leave within 14 days, or face eviction by bailiffs.

Woman Charged With Causing Death By Dangerous Driving

21-year-old motorcyclist has died following a multi-vehicle crash at a major Nottingham road junction.

Bobbers Mill Bridge, on Alfreton Road, remained closed for around 11 hours after the incident was first reported at around 8.30am on Saturday (October 18).

The young man suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead soon afterwards. His family have been informed.

A woman was arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving following the incident.

Nottinghamshire police have issued the following statement: "A woman has been charged following a fatal collision with a motorcyclist.

"Multiple vehicles were involved in a collision just before 8.30am on Saturday (October 18) in Alfreton Road, Nottingham. Emergency services were called following reports of the collision, which left a motorbike rider with serious injuries.

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"The 21-year-old man was pronounced dead soon afterwards. His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

"The driver of one of the vehicles involved in the collision was arrested at the scene. Nomazwe Moyo, of Eltham Close, Broxtowe, has since been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

"The 35-year-old is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Monday (October 20).

Police put up a huge cordon and taped off a large section of the road between Gregory Boulevard and Aspley Lane. Drivers were advised to find alternative routes and bus operator Trentbarton said one of its services had been diverting due to the closure.

Nigerian man sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work after using woman’s name to work at UK Hospital

Nigerian man sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work after using woman’s name to work at UK Hospital




A Nigerian man has been sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work after admitting he used a female colleague’s identity to carry out shifts at a UK hospital.




Identity Fraud at Countess of Chester Hospital




Lucius Njoku, 33, of Oliver Lane, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation when he appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on September 19, 2025.




Between February 16 and April 25, 2024, Njoku worked shifts at the Countess of Chester Hospital, including in the A&E department, under the name of Joyce George, a co-accused who was employed through an agency.




Prosecutor Lisa McGuire told the court that George had since returned to Nigeria and a warrant had been issued for her arrest.




Messages recovered from the pair’s phones mapped out the shifts they coordinated, though both had declined to give interviews.




Although there were no complaints about Njoku’s work and no patients were harmed, the court described the act as a serious abuse of trust.




District Judge John McGarva said: “You deceived your way into a job that required safeguarding checks. While no one was harmed, this undermines the DBS system and is treated as maximum harm. There is an argument for immediate custody, but you have strong mitigation.”




Njoku’s lawyer, Steve Alis, explained that Njoku came to the UK as a student and faced financial difficulties, which led to his agreement with George.




Alis also criticized the hospital’s lack of identification measures, pointing out that Njoku was qualified for the role.




“He hasn’t tried to downplay his role,” Alis said. “He had the relevant qualifications but went about it the wrong way. This was a joint enterprise.”




Sentence and Outcome




Njoku was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, meaning he will not go to jail unless he reoffends during this period.




He was also ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, pay a £154 surcharge, and £85 in court costs.

The 20 UK towns and cities housing the most asylum seekers revealed

The UK towns and cities housing the most asylum seekersGlasgow City - 3,844
Birmingham - 2,755
Hillingdon (London) - 2,481
Liverpool - 2,361
Manchester - 1,997
Leeds - 1,811
Hounslow (London) - 1,675
Coventry - 1,518
Sandwell - 1,489
Nottingham - 1,475
Leicester - 1,452
Bradford - 1,328
Wolverhampton - 1,291
Derby - 1,280
Barnet (London) - 1,180
Stoke-on-Trent - 1,179
Sheffield - 1,131
Newham (London) - 1,122
Wigan - 1,090
Newcastle upon Tyne - 1,085

Illegal migrant 'influencer' who warned others of Ice raids is deported

An illegal migrant social media influencer who warned others online about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) raids in California has been deported back to Colombia.

According to Ice, Tatiana Mafla-Martinez was arrested in August for a previous driving under the influence charge and illegally residing in the US.

The Colombian national boasted almost 50,000 followers on her TikTok account, where she posted Ice raid "alerts" in Los Angeles and other areas in California.

The 24-year-old was arrested by Ice agents while she was livestreaming on her account, with the video of the arrest widely circulating across different social media platforms.

Footage of the incident showed Mafla-Martinez screaming at the agents in Spanish from her Tesla.

After the Colombian was arrested, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “On August 15, Ice arrested Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia who was convicted for driving under the influence in Los Angeles.

UK CUTS PSW VISA TO 18 MONTHS AMONGST LATEST IMMIGRATION MOVES

Migrants coming to work in Britain will need to learn English to an A-level standard under stricter new rules, the Home Secretary has announced.

Tougher requirements for speaking, listening, reading and writing will be needed for certain visas as part of the Government's immigration white paper measures, which are designed to reduce reliance on cheap foreign labour.

The changes were laid in Parliament on Tuesday and are expected to come into force on dates following November 4.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said it was “unacceptable” for migrants to come to Britain if they did not speak English.

"This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute,” she said.

"But it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life.

"If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part."

The white paper measures, first announced in May, are designed to tighten controls and cut migration.

Those applying for skilled worker visa routes and graduates under the high potential individual (HPI) visa will need to reach B2 level, instead of the current B1 standard.

The new requirements will come into effect from January 8, 2026

Applicants will have to pass the Secure English Language Test at a Home Office-approved provider in person, with their results to be checked as part of the visa process.

But the move has been criticised as pushing a false narrative that migrants lack basic English skills.

Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the Work Rights Centre, said: "Increasing English language requirements from intermediate to upper intermediate won't make any difference to integration - this is already happening.

"It will simply make migrants feel less welcome and reinforce false stereotypes.”

Other measures introduced to Parliament on Tuesday include cutting the time international students can stay in the UK to find a graduate job after their course has ended, from two years to 18 months.

This will take effect from January 2027.

Students will also have to meet higher financial requirements to be allowed to come to the UK, raised to £1,171 per month outside London (from £1,136) for up to nine months.

The HPI route open to graduates from the top 100 international universities will also be expanded as part of efforts to attract highly skilled people to the country.

The Global Talent Route was also widened to include more prestigious prizes and more changes to the visa for technology, arts and academia fields will also be made next year.

The number entering on the HPI visa is expected to double from 2,000 to 4,000, while there will be a cap of 8,000 applications each year.

Under further white paper plans, the immigration skills charge for UK employers to pay when sponsoring foreign workers on specific visas has also been increased to £480 per person per year for small organisations or charities, and to £1,320 for medium and large organisations.

This is raised from £364 and £1,000 respectively.

Home Office estimates indicate that changes from the plan could reduce the number of people coming to the UK by up to 100,000 per year.


Further English language requirements for other visa routes and family dependants are expected.

Meanwhile, the Home Office has also announced any nationals from Botswana will need a visa before travelling to Britain, including for short visits in response to a "high number" of people arriving as visitors since 2022 and then claiming asylum.

The Government branded this a "misuse of the UK's immigration system".

The move will come into force from 3pm on Tuesday.

Mike Ozekhome Named in Fraudulent Transfer of Property in the UK

 A United Kingdom property tribunal has dismissed attempts to transfer ownership of a North London house linked to late Nigerian General Jeremiah Useni to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, and other claimants, after concluding that false identities and forged documents were at the heart of the case.










The property, situated at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London NW2 7SX, and registered under the name “Tali Shani” with title number MX117803, was bought in 1993. Evidence presented to the tribunal revealed that Mr. Useni, a former FCT minister and an ally of the late dictator Sani Abacha, was the actual purchaser of the property.

Mr Useni later admitted in oral testimony that he acquired the house with his own funds but registered it under the fabricated name ‘Tali Shani’. The former FCT minister, who served under Mr Abacha, never explained why the home was not recorded under his true identity.

In 2021, a transfer document surfaced suggesting the property had been conveyed to Mr Ozekhome.

The lawyer argued that Mr Useni, acting through the alias Tali Shani, had passed the house to him either as a gift or in recognition of legal services he claimed to have rendered. Based on that document and the accompanying powers of attorney signed in 2019 and 2020, Mr Ozekhome requested that both the tribunal and the chief land registrar register him as the new owner.

Mr Ozekhome could have successfully got the transfer of ownership to his name done, but a dispute escalated when, in 2022, a woman presenting herself as ‘Ms Tali Shani’ challenged the transfer. The woman asserted that she was the rightful owner of the house and insisted that she had never authorised its conveyance.

At one point, the woman was reported to have died in October 2024, only for her supposed son, Ayodele Damola, and cousin, Marcel Obasi, to continue pressing the case on her behalf.

However, in its judgment delivered on September 11, 2025, the tribunal rejected her account entirely.

Judge Ewan Paton stated that the materials she relied on, including identity papers, utility bills, and even a death certificate later produced by supposed relatives, were riddled with inconsistencies and, in many cases, outright forgeries. Investigations carried out by Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission and the police confirmed the documents were fabricated, with addresses and identification numbers traced to non-existent or unrelated persons.

The judge described testimony given by individuals claiming to be her relatives as “wholly unconvincing, dishonest and at times almost comical”, concluding that both the supposed female owner and the male ‘Tali Shani’ cited by Mr Ozekhome were fictitious identities.

While dismissing the rival objection, the tribunal also refused to recognise Mr Ozekhome’s claim. It ruled that since Mr Useni (who died on January 23, 2025) was the genuine buyer, albeit using a false name, the property now belongs to his estate following his death earlier this year (2025).

“The final outcome of this case, therefore, is that both parties have failed,” the judge said. “Neither ‘Tali Shani’ was who they said they were, and neither was the person who purchased this property in 1993. The real owner, via a false name, was General Jeremiah Useni.”

The tribunal ordered the chief land registrar to cancel Mr Ozekhome’s attempted registration and made clear that it will be up to Mr Useni’s lawful estate representatives to decide what steps to take regarding the London house.

“This is a decision made in public proceedings, which shall be published,” Mr Paton stated, leaving open the possibility of further action by British or Nigerian authorities in relation to the frauds uncovered.