To fight the illegal migration crisis in the UK, the changes that Britain's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has proposed are being widely called as the biggest overhaul in the immigration system in recent times.
UK government data reveal that over 400,000 people have sought asylum in the last four years. It also reveals that around 100,000 people now live in asylum accommodation.
The proposed changes in the UK's asylum system state that people who were granted asylum shall be allowed to stay in the country only on a temporary basis, with their status reviewed every 30 months.
Refugees will also need to be resident in the UK for 20 long years before they can apply for permanent residence. Significantly, the government will offer a new "work and study" visa route to help refugees find employment or begin education.
As per the BBC, Shabana Mahmood plans to terminate the process of allowing multiple appeals in asylum cases and replace it with a single, consolidated appeal. Notably, it is proposed that all grounds regarding the appeal must be raised at once.
She is also to revoke the legal duty to provide asylum seekers with support, stopping the guaranteed housing and weekly pay. Even though support would be available for those who are destitute, those who have 'deliberately' made themselves as destitute will be denied the support.
Also under the plan, asylum seekers with assets shall have to contribute to the cost of their accommodation.
Visa penalties will be applied to nations that do not cooperate with the return policies. The UK government has already identified three African nations to penalise if their governments do not improve cooperation on removals.
According to the BBC, the government is also planning to take the help of AI-driven technologies in verifying the age of asylum seekers, particularly those claiming to be children.
Meanwhile, the government also plans to introduce a digital ID to aid accurate right-to-work checks by employers. The move would also make it harder for illegal workers to use fraudulent documents. The UK government would also create new legal routes, with an annual cap on the number of asylum seekers.
Anxiety prevails among many Labour MPs, with many publicly questioning Mahmood's proposals. The BBC highlights that the Labour MPs feel pressure from locals to raise their voice to uphold the rights of asylum seekers escaping war-torn parts all over the globe.
However, Communities Secretary Steve Reed has said the government is "absolutely committed" to pushing through asylum reforms, despite backlash.
With the overhaul likely to affect the lives and destiny of desperate asylum-seekers, the UN refugee agency has welcomed aspects of the UK's proposed changes, while also emphasising the importance of fair, efficient protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution.