New UK asylum changes are unworkable.

Statement from the Welsh Refugee Council 

The Welsh Refugee Council is deeply concerned about UK Government’s new asylum rules, which would cut refugee status from five years to 30 months and leave people fleeing war and persecution in limbo. 

These proposals are, quite simply, wrong. They will create more cost, more bureaucracy and more instability in a system that is already under strain. 

When someone is recognised as a refugee, it is after a detailed assessment has confirmed they cannot safely return home. At that point, people want what any of us would want: a steady job, a safe home and a chance to rebuild. Stability makes that possible. Uncertainty makes it harder. 

If refugee status lasts just 30 months, behaviour changes. Employers are less likely to offer permanent work. Landlords hesitate to provide long-term tenancies. People delay training or improving their English or Cymraeg because they do not know what comes next. Insecurity slows contribution. Stability speeds it up. 

In Wales, our strategy is built on a simple idea: integration starts on day one. Early access to language, work and community life helps people stand on their own feet and strengthens our communities. That approach depends on clarity and long-term security. Repeated temporary status risks undermining progress made across Wales. 

There is also a serious question about process. Changes of this scale should be properly scrutinised by MPs. Rushing them through without full democratic debate is deeply concerning. They are also likely to face legal challenge, creating further uncertainty and additional cost to the public purse. 

Families who have already lost so much should be able to settle, work and contribute. Instead, these proposals risk trapping people in cycles of review and red tape, adding pressure to the Home Office and costing millions that could be better spent fixing delays and improving decisions. 

We urge the UK Government to reconsider these proposals and to work with devolved governments and communities to build an asylum system that is fair, efficient and grounded in stability.