Refugee protection cut to 30 months: what this means and why it matters

We believe policy should be shaped by evidence and focused on the long-term wellbeing of our communities, rather than short-term headlines. Making life harder for recognised refugees will not resolve pressures on public services or build public confidence. It risks increasing division and will create further anxiety in communities that have already endured significant hardship.

What is happening?

The Government has stated that this new approach will apply to adults and accompanied children who claim asylum on or after 2 March 2026 and are subsequently recognised as refugees. Individuals who claimed asylum before that date are expected to continue under the existing framework. We will continue to monitor formal Immigration Rules and operational guidance as further details are published.

Instead of the five years’ protection that previously provided a route to settlement, successful applicants will now be granted 30 months’ leave to remain. After this period, their status will be formally reviewed and, if they are deemed able to return safely to their country of origin, they may face removal.

People who already hold refugee status will remain on their current grant of leave. Those who have already submitted an asylum claim will continue on the existing pathway towards five years’ protection. Unaccompanied children will also continue to receive five years’ protection while longer-term arrangements are developed.

Why are we so concerned?

Refugees are people who have already been recognised as needing protection. Limiting that protection to shorter periods introduces recurring uncertainty for individuals and families who are rebuilding their lives.

Legal continuity and practical implications

One area of concern relates to what happens when people apply to extend their leave.

Where individuals apply in time, section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 operates to continue their existing leave and associated conditions while a decision is pending. This means they remain lawfully present in the UK and retain the rights and entitlements attached to their previous grant of leave.

However, section 3C does not always enable access to new applications or new forms of support during that period. In practice, this can affect access to student finance, new courses of study, certain training pathways and other opportunities that require confirmation of a fixed period of leave.

Similarly, although employers can verify ongoing permission to work through the Employer Checking Service where an application is pending, many organisations rely on digital right-to-work share codes, which cannot always be generated while an application is pending, even though the Employer Checking Service remains available.

Individuals awaiting a decision are often unable to generate a new share code, which can make it harder to change jobs or progress at work. Even though legal status continues, the lack of a confirmed decision can leave people feeling stuck in uncertainty.

Current Home Office processing times for extension applications in other immigration categories can range from several months to over a year. If similar time-frames apply to refugee protection reviews, individuals may spend extended periods awaiting confirmation of their status.

Repeated or prolonged waiting periods risk creating sustained administrative uncertainty, which may in turn affect educational planning, career development and wider integration into the community.

Trauma and psychological impact

Recovery from trauma and successful integration are closely linked to stability and psychological security. Repeated cycles of reassessment risk undermining that progress.

Refugee status is granted following detailed assessment of past persecution and future risk. For many people, recounting their experiences during the asylum process is one of the most distressing aspects of seeking protection. Periodic review of status may require individuals to revisit traumatic histories and face renewed uncertainty about their safety.

Integration and long-term stability

Integration develops gradually and through relationships. It flourishes when people feel secure in their place within the community and can be set back when that sense of security is repeatedly unsettled.

Successful integration grows from stability, predictability and the ability to look ahead with confidence. People rebuilding their lives often make important long-term decisions about education, employment, housing and family life when they feel secure in their immigration status.

If protection is reviewed at regular intervals, particularly where decision-making takes time, individuals may find it harder to feel settled about their future in the UK. Even where protection ultimately continues, extended periods of waiting can disrupt studies, slow career progression, delay family plans and affect overall wellbeing.

Through our day-to-day work alongside people seeking safety in Oxfordshire, we see how secure immigration status enables people to move from crisis support into education, employment and independent living.

People thrive when they are able to plan for the future, reunite with family, access appropriate support and participate fully in society. By contrast, when people are left in limbo, poverty, poor health and exploitation become more likely — ultimately affecting society as a whole.