Britain's Bold Moves to Change Asylum Rules

Britain is making big changes to how it handles asylum seekers. The government wants to make refugee status temporary. This means refugees would have to renew their status every two and a half years. If their home country is considered safe, they could lose their refugee status. The plan also makes it harder for refugees to settle permanently. Right now, refugees can stay indefinitely after five years. But under the new rules, they would have to wait 20 years. To settle sooner, they would need to work or study. Britain is also changing how it interprets human rights laws. The goal is to make it easier to deport migrants who arrive illegally. The government says the current laws are being misused to delay deportations. For example, they want to clarify that "family" means only immediate family, like parents or children. The government is also putting pressure on other countries. It is threatening to ban visas from Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is because these countries are not cooperating with deportations. The ban could affect both VIPs and tourists. New legal routes for refugees are also in the works. But these routes will only be established once the government feels it has control over the borders. The details of these routes are still being worked out. These changes are controversial. Many charities and lawmakers are criticizing the new rules. They argue that the changes are too harsh and could harm vulnerable people.