UK scraps ‘golden ticket’ asylum rules: How will it affect Indians? | Explained

From ‘golden ticket’ to temporary permits

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced what she calls the “biggest changes to tackle illegal migration in modern times”, unveiling a sweeping overhaul of the country’s asylum system.

The reforms, inspired by Denmark’s model, aim to restrict long-term settlement, speed up deportations, and curb irregular migration, particularly small-boat crossings. Mahmood said the current asylum system is “not working” and warned that undocumented migration is “tearing the country apart.”

The reforms come amid a 14% rise in asylum claims, with 111,084 people applying for asylum in the year ending June 2025, the highest in over two decades.

What are the major changes in the UK’s new asylum rules?

1. Stricter proof of persecution: The UK is raising the threshold for granting asylum. Applicants will now be required to provide stronger evidence of past or imminent harm, going beyond the earlier “credible risk” standard.

2. Fast-track deportations: The government will accelerate removals of rejected applicants, aiming to deport many within days or weeks. Those who arrive via irregular routes, including small boats, may be denied the right to claim asylum altogether.

3. Limited appeals & removal to third countries: Multiple appeals will be scrapped and replaced by a single, consolidated appeal. The UK will expand its third-country removal strategy, sending asylum seekers to any “safe” country willing to take them. Rwanda is already part of this model.

4. Temporary refugee status: Refugee protection will shift from a 5-year system to 30-month renewable permits, with frequent safety reviews. People could be returned if their home countries are deemed safe. Refugees will now require 20 years of continuous residence before applying for permanent settlement, up from the current five years.

5. Ending guaranteed housing & allowances: The legal duty to provide accommodation and weekly financial support will be removed. Support will become discretionary, reserved only for those who are genuinely destitute. Those who can work but do not, or those who defy removal orders or break the law, may lose state support.

6. New enforcement tools: The UK plans to expand border checks and deploy facial-age AI to verify applicants’ ages and identities, a move critics warn could raise risks for vulnerable people.

7. Human-rights law overhaul: The government will narrow the scope of Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in asylum cases.
Family-life protections will only apply to immediate relatives, tightening grounds for staying in the UK.

8. New legal routes with annual caps: The UK will create community-sponsored and employer-sponsored refugee routes with a fixed annual cap. Arrivals through legal pathways will be placed on a streamlined 10-year route to settlement.

What does it mean for Indians? 

India is consistently among the top five nationalities applying for asylum in the UK, with 5,253 applications in 2023 and 5,312 in 2024. Most Indian applicants cite threats linked to religion, caste, sexuality, or political persecution.

While few Indians enter through irregular routes like small boats, the new reforms will significantly affect Indian nationals:

• Much stricter scrutiny for Indian asylum claims - Only applicants with clear, well-documented evidence of persecution are likely to succeed under the raised burden of proof. Claims based on general insecurity or social discrimination will face steep rejection rates.

• Faster deportations and limited appeals - Rejected Indian applicants could be removed quickly, with limited time to challenge decisions under the new single-appeal system.

• Inclusion in ‘deport now, appeal later’ list - India was earlier added to a list of countries whose nationals cannot delay deportation after a criminal conviction.
Under this system, they must appeal deportation remotely from India, unless serving life sentences or convicted of the gravest offences.

• Stricter rules for settlement - Even successful asylum seekers will now have only temporary permits, subject to review every 30 months, and will need to wait 20 years before seeking permanent residence.