From 2 March 2026, the Home Secretary introduced a major change to the UK’s asylum system: refugees will no longer receive an automatic five year grant of protection. Instead, they will be required to renew their permission to stay every 30 months or apply for a visa route available to other authorised migrants. This marks a significant departure from the previous framework, under which individuals granted refugee status, typically received five years of leave after which they could apply for indefinite leave to remain. 

The new approach applies to adults and accompanied children who claim asylum on or after 2 March 2026. People who have already submitted an asylum claim and unaccompanied children are currently exempt from the rule changes, so both groups will continue to receive five years of protection. Even so, the government has signalled that the policy for unaccompanied children may evolve, noting that it is still considering “the appropriate long term policy for this group.”  

Under the reformed rules, if the Home Office determines that a person’s country of origin is now safe, their protection will not be renewed, and they will be expected to return to their country of origin. Those who wish to remain in the UK will need to apply for alternative visa routes, such as work or study visas. 

These reforms also have consequences for family reunion: the government has confirmed that family reunion applications remain paused while new rules are developed to ensure that financial and integration requirements align with those applied to British citizens sponsoring family members.  

Concerns have been raised about the compatibility of these changes with the UK’s international obligations. Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, has warned that the reforms appear to be in conflict with Article 34 of the Refugee Convention, which requires states to facilitate the “assimilation and naturalisation” of refugees as far as possible. 

If you would like further advice on how these changes may affect you or your family, please contact us on 020 7401 6887 or by email at contact@gryklaw.com to arrange a consultation with one of our team.