STORY: Britain on Monday (November 17) said it would make refugee status temporary and speed up the deportation of those who arrive illegally, in a major overhaul aimed at stemming the rise of the populist Reform UK party and tackling abuse of the current system.

In what the centre-left Labour government says is the most sweeping asylum policy overhaul of modern times, Mahmood announced changes that include quadrupling to 20 years the time refugees will have to wait to settle permanently.

The government also threatened visa bans on Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo unless those countries accepted the return of illegal migrants and criminals.

Interior minister Shabana Mahmood outlined changes to how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) should be interpreted by UK courts to give the government greater control over who can remain in Britain.

Under her proposals, the government wants to change the interpretation of Article 8 of the ECHR, governing the right to a family life. It would make clear that a family connection means immediate family, such as a parent or child, preventing people from "using dubious connections to stay in the UK".

It added that Britain would also work with like-minded countries to review the application of Article 3, which prohibits torture. It argued the "definition of 'inhuman and degrading treatment' has expanded beyond what is reasonable", making it too easy to challenge deportations.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: BRITAIN'S INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD ANNOUNCES REFORMS TO THE MIGRATION SYSTEM IN PARLIAMENT

SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 17, 2025) (PARLIAMENT TV - News and current affairs use only, cannot be used for light entertainment or satirical purposes, party political broadcast usage must be cleared with PBU)

1. BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD RISING TO SPEAK IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"To the British public who foot the bill. The system feels out of control and unfair. It feels that way because it is."

3. MAHMOOD SPEAKING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"We must act too. We will do so by making refugee status temporary, not permanent. A grant of refugee status will last two and a half years, not five. It will be renewed only if it is impossible for a refugee to return home. Permanent settlement will now come at 20 years, not five. I know this country welcomes people who contribute and for those who want to stay and are willing and able to we will create a new work and study visa route solely for refugees with a quicker path to permanent settlement. To encourage refugees into work, we will also consult on removing benefits for those who are able to work but choose not to. Outside of the most exceptional circumstances, family reunion will not be possible, with a refugee only able to bring family over if they have joined a work and study route and if qualifying tests are met."

5. MAHMOOD SPEAKING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"We have already announced that we will empty asylum hotels by the end of the Parliament and we are exploring a number of large military sites as an alternative. We will now also remove the 2005 legislation that created a duty to support asylum seekers, reverting to a legal power to do so instead.

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"So those with income or assets will have to contribute to the cost of their stay. This will end the absurdity that we currently experience where an asylum seeker receiving £800 each month from his family and who had recently acquired an Audi, was receiving free housing at the taxpayers' expense and the courts judged that we could do nothing about it."

8. MAHMOOD SPEAKING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"We must also enforce our rules and remove those who have no right to be here. This will mean restarting removals to countries where they have been paused. In recent months we have begun voluntary removal of failed asylum seekers to Syria once again. However, there are still many failed asylum seekers here from Syria, most of whom fled a regime that has since been toppled. Other countries are planning to enforce removals and we will follow suit. Where a failed asylum seeker cannot be returned home. We will also continue to explore the possibility of return hubs, with negotiations ongoing."

10. MAHMOOD SPEAKING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"I can announce today that we have told Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Namibia, that if they do not comply with international rules and norms, we will impose visa penalties on them and I am sending a wider message here, unless other countries heed this lesson, further sanctions will follow."

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"There is no doubt that the expanded interpretation of parts of the European Convention on Human Rights has contributed. This is particularly true of Article Eight, the right to a family life (ED.'S NOTE: REFERRING TO THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS' ARTICLE 8). The courts have adopted an ever expanding interpretation of this right, and as a result, many people have been allowed to come to this country when they would otherwise have had no right to."

13. MAHMOOD SPEAKING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"As Article three is an absolute right a public interest test cannot be applied. For that reason, we are seeking reform at the Council of Europe, and we do so alongside international partners who have raised similar concerns."

15. MAHMOOD SPEAKING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH INTERIOR MINISTER SHABANA MAHMOOD SAYING:

"Taken together, Madam Deputy Speaker, these are significant reforms. They are designed to ensure our asylum system is fit for the modern world and that we retain public consent for the very idea of providing refuge. We will always be a country that offers protection to those fleeing peril, just as we did in recent years when Ukraine was invaded, when Afghanistan was evacuated, and when we repatriated Hongkongers."

17. MAHMOOD SITTING DOWN AND LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION CONSERVATIVE PARTY KEMI BADENOCH RISING TO SPEAK

18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION CONSERVATIVE PARTY KEMI BADENOCH SAYING:

"Madam Deputy Speaker, can I thank the Home Secretary for advance sight of this statement, most of which I read in the Sunday Telegraph, actually. But I am pleased that she is bringing forward measures to crack down on illegal immigration. It is not enough, but it is a start. And it's also a change. It's a change from her previous position in opposition of a general amnesty for illegal migrants. But I do want to praise the new Home Secretary, Madam Deputy Speaker. She's bringing fresh energy and a clearer focus to this problem, and she has got more done in 70 days in the job than her predecessor did in a year."

19. BADENOCH SPEAKING DURING SESSION