Immigration and Asylum Bill Proposes 30-Month Temporary Refugee Status
16 May 2026
The Immigration and Asylum Bill, introduced alongside the King's Speech on 13 May 2026, sets out significant changes to how the UK treats asylum seekers. The changes are focused on the asylum system and do not affect BNO, Skilled Worker, or Family visa settlement routes.
What the core protection model means
Under the current system, a recognised refugee receives five years of leave to remain and can then apply for indefinite leave to remain. The government's policy statement sets out a new "core protection" model that would replace this.
Under core protection, refugees would receive 30 months of leave to remain. That leave can only be renewed if the person is still considered to be in need of protection. The government describes the intent as moving "away from an assumption of offering permanent protection, and towards a more basic, and temporary protection."
Settlement and family reunion
Under the proposed model, the path to indefinite settled status would be extended from five years to a minimum of 20 years. There would also be "no automatic right to family reunion" for people on core protection. To sponsor a family member, a refugee would first need to switch to a separate Protection Work and Study route by finding employment or starting a course of study.
ECHR Article 8 changes
The bill also proposes three changes to how Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in immigration cases. These changes could affect anyone in the immigration system, not only asylum seekers, when human rights arguments arise in appeals or enforcement decisions.
First, legislation would clarify that immigration enforcement is in the public interest, narrowing the circumstances where Article 8 rights can override a removal decision. Second, primary legislation would define family life as normally limited to "immediate family members" unless exceptionally close links exist. Third, overseas applicants seeking to use Article 8 to remain in the UK would need to be sponsored by UK-based family members.
None of this has come into force yet. The bill must still pass through Parliament before any of these changes take effect. The current rules for all immigration routes remain unchanged.
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