UK Asylum Changes 2026: 30-Month Protection, the Denmark Model and the New Bill

Since 2 March 2026, adults and accompanied children who claim asylum in the UK and are granted protection receive 30 months’ permission, not the 5 years refugees used to get. This “core protection” is reviewed at each renewal and is part of a wider policy, modelled on Denmark, that also proposes a 20-year starting point for settlement. A new Immigration and Asylum Bill would put a single protection status into primary law, but as of October 2026 it has not passed.

Key points

• 30-month grants apply to asylum claims lodged on or after 2 March 2026 (adults and accompanied children).
• Unaccompanied children still get 5 years; people who claimed before 2 March 2026 are covered by transitional arrangements.
• The government proposes 20 years before refugees can settle, with a faster “Protection Work and Study” route.
• Refugee family reunion has been suspended to new applications since 4 September 2025.
• The Immigration and Asylum Bill is still before Parliament.

This is a policy explainer, not advice on an individual claim. Anyone with an asylum claim should get advice from a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Free help may be available through legal aid.

How we got here: timeline

Date	Event	Status
4 September 2025	Refugee family reunion suspended to new applications (HC 1298)	Still suspended, as far as we could confirm
17 November 2025	”Restoring Order and Control” asylum and returns policy statement published	Partly implemented
20 November 2025	Earned settlement consultation opens (closed 12 February 2026)	Outcome not yet published
2 March 2026	30-month core protection for new claims (implemented through HC 1691, laid 5 March)	In force; a legal challenge has been reported
13 May 2026	King’s Speech announces an Immigration and Asylum Bill	—
30 June 2026	Immigration and Asylum Bill introduced; second reading 13 July 2026	Bill
9 July 2026	HC 259 laid: changes to asylum interviews and criminality rules	In force from 30 July / 3 August 2026
8 October 2026	Government publishes Bill factsheets, including on core protection	—

The “Restoring Order and Control” statement

The Home Office published Restoring Order and Control (CP 1418) on 17 November 2025. It describes a package of measures to “restore order, control, fairness, and public confidence” in the asylum system. Commentators and the government itself have linked the approach to Denmark’s model of temporary protection. The main proposals were:

• replacing 5-year refugee leave with shorter core protection, reviewed at each renewal
• a 20-year starting point before refugees can apply for settlement
• a new Protection Work and Study route that would let people who work or study settle faster
• changes to family reunion and returns

30-month core protection: who it affects

According to law firm analysis of the Home Secretary’s statement (Kingsley Napley, 3 March 2026):

Group	What they get if granted
Adults claiming on or after 2 March 2026	30 months, reviewed at renewal
Accompanied children claiming on or after 2 March 2026	30 months, reviewed at renewal
Unaccompanied children (any claim date)	5 years
People who claimed before 2 March 2026	Transitional arrangements; widely read as keeping 5 years
Refugees already holding 5-year leave	Not directly addressed; status of their settlement route uncertain

At each renewal the Home Office can look again at whether protection is still needed. This is the core difference from the previous system, where refugees could usually apply for settlement after 5 years.

Settlement: the 20-year proposal

Under the policy, refugees on core protection would face a 20-year starting point before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain. The earned settlement consultation included the same 20-year figure for refugees, alongside a 10-year baseline for most other migrants.

What is and is not law:

• The 30-month grant is in force.
• How the 20-year starting point and any faster route will work depends on the settlement policy the government has said it will publish before the end of 2026, and on the Bill.
• The Commons Home Affairs Committee and the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee have both raised concerns about the wider settlement changes, including retrospective effect.

Our earned settlement explainer covers the wider settlement proposals.

The Immigration and Asylum Bill

According to the House of Commons Library, the Bill was introduced on 30 June 2026 and had its second reading on 13 July 2026. The government’s core protection factsheet, published on 8 October 2026, says the Bill would:

• replace the current refugee and humanitarian protection framework with a single protection decision and status
• remove the right to bring “upgrade appeals”
• let the Home Office vary entitlements, for example granting leave with more restrictive conditions to serious criminals who cannot be removed
• sit alongside a new Protection Work and Study route

Other parts of the Bill, as summarised by the Commons Library, include an Independent Immigration Appeals Authority and tighter rules on Article 8 (family and private life) claims. The factsheet also states: “We will never remove anyone to a country where they will be at risk of serious harm.”

The Bill can still be amended. Check /updates/ for progress.

Refugee family reunion: still paused

New applications under the refugee family reunion rules (Appendix Family Reunion (Protection)) were suspended at 3pm on 4 September 2025. Applications made before then are not affected.

The government said replacement rules would follow, with spring 2026 mentioned as a target. Reports suggest new rules could include an income requirement, accommodation and English requirements, but no final rules or reopening date had been confirmed in the sources we could check as of October 2026.

In the meantime, family members of refugees can only apply under the standard family rules, which include the £29,000 minimum income requirement for partners. See our guide to the spouse visa minimum income. Charities such as the Refugee Council and British Red Cross can explain options.

Other recent changes

• HC 259 (July 2026) changed how omissions in asylum interviews are treated, aligned deportation rules with the Sentencing Act 2026, and made suspended sentences a ground for refusal in more cases. Source: HC 259 explanatory memorandum.
• UK–France returns pilot. The “one in, one out” arrangement started in September 2025 and was extended to 1 October 2026. We could not confirm its status after that date.
• Citizenship and irregular entry. Good character guidance says citizenship applications made after 10 February 2025 by people who entered illegally will normally be refused. See our British citizenship guide.

What to do next

1. If you have a pending claim made before 2 March 2026, ask your legal representative how transitional arrangements apply to you.
2. If you were granted 30 months, keep records of your circumstances and diary your renewal date well in advance.
3. If you hope to bring family, get advice on the standard family routes rather than waiting for family reunion to reopen.
4. Follow the UK country hub and /updates/ for the settlement policy and Bill progress.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Status of each measure is as of October 2026.