UK asylum system ‘out of control’, home secretary warns amid reforms

(UNITED KINGDOM) The new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has warned that the United Kingdom’s asylum system is “out of control” and “dividing the country,” as she set out what she called the most far‑reaching overhaul of asylum rules in modern times. The package is aimed at cutting illegal arrivals, speeding up removals, and clearing a large backlog of claims.

Scale of the problem and government framing

Mahmood said about 400,000 people have sought asylum in the UK over the last four years, with more than 100,000 currently living in asylum accommodation. She argued this scale has put severe pressure on housing, public services, and local communities.

She also claimed that more than half of refugees are still on benefits eight years after arrival, presenting this as evidence that the current model is not working for either new arrivals or the taxpayers who fund the system.

“The pace and scale of asylum claims have overwhelmed the country,” Mahmood said, calling the system “unfair and destabilizing communities.”
She warned that failure to act would deepen social division and fuel anger in towns and cities where asylum hotels and other temporary sites have opened.

Central aims of the reform package

The government’s plan rests on two central objectives:

1. Reduce illegal arrivals
2. Increase removals of people who have no right to remain

Mahmood argued that while asylum claims are falling across much of Europe, they are rising in the UK because the country’s offer to asylum seekers is perceived as more generous. She said the new measures are designed to “restore order and control” to a system she believes has lost both.

Changes to support and conditionality

A key change announced is to end the duty to support asylum seekers under 2005 legislation, replacing it with a discretionary power to support only those who follow the rules.

• Under the current duty‑based approach, support must be provided to many people who have no permission to stay but cannot easily be removed.
• The new discretionary model would allow officials to stop support where people ignore conditions or refuse to cooperate.
• Mahmood says this will help break a cycle of dependency and delay.

The Home Secretary also plans to withdraw support from:

• People involved in criminal or antisocial behaviour
• Those who have the right to work but whose asylum claims have failed

She argued taxpayers should not fund accommodation and other benefits for people who have lost their cases and then break the law or refuse to support themselves. Critics will likely question how “antisocial behaviour” will be defined and proven; those details have not yet been published.

Enforced removals and example countries

Mahmood said the government will start enforced removals of failed asylum seekers, including family groups, from countries it classifies as safe. Albania was given as a clear example.

• Around 700 Albanian families are said to be living in taxpayer‑funded accommodation despite having had their claims rejected.
• The UK already has returns agreements in place with such countries, and Mahmood says enforced removals for these groups will now proceed.

She argued this is essential to restore public trust that people with no right to be in the country will actually leave.

Accommodation policy: emptying asylum hotels

Another headline promise is to “empty asylum hotels” by the end of the current Parliament. Asylum hotels have become a highly visible symbol of pressure on the system, particularly in smaller towns where residents say they had little say over their opening.

• The Home Office is exploring the use of large military sites as alternative accommodation.
• Supporters say such sites could be cheaper and easier to manage than hundreds of separate hotels.
• Opponents are likely to question living conditions and the impact on nearby communities.

Legal process, appeals and backlog

As of March 2025, the asylum backlog stood at 51,000 cases, leaving many people waiting months or years for decisions.

Mahmood proposes:

• Creating a new independent appeals body
• Guaranteeing early legal representation

The intended result is faster, more robust decisions and fewer last‑minute legal challenges. The logic is that early, proper legal help will resolve weak cases quickly and confirm strong claims without endless appeals.

Enforcement record and strategic framing

Officials say immigration enforcement has already been stepped up, with record numbers of raids and arrests. They claim the government has:

• Prevented more than 20,000 illegal Channel crossings
• Returned nearly 50,000 illegal migrants

These figures are being used to argue that tougher enforcement can work and that the new measures will build on that approach. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, ministers view enforcement and asylum‑system reforms as two sides of the same strategy: making it harder to arrive illegally and harder to stay after losing a case.

International inspiration: Denmark

Mahmood said the package takes partial inspiration from Denmark’s tough immigration stance, with the aim of moving the UK toward a more controlled and sustainable model. Denmark is often cited for strict policies and an emphasis on integration tied to work.

• Mahmood did not list specific Danish measures she is adopting.
• She did, however, signal a desire to remove what she sees as open‑ended support.

Reactions and unresolved questions

Supporters of the reforms will likely welcome Mahmood’s blunt language about an asylum system “out of control”, arguing she is finally addressing public concern over irregular migration and rising costs.

• For residents in areas with many asylum hotels, promises to close them and remove those with no right to remain may feel like long‑awaited action.
• Local leaders who have long complained about strains on schools, health services, and housing will watch for measurable change.

At the same time, refugee organisations, lawyers, and local councils will raise serious questions about:

• What happens to people who lose support but cannot be removed quickly
• Cases where countries are too dangerous to return people
• The practical application and oversight of new definitions (for example, “antisocial behaviour”)

Mahmood insists the reforms will remain consistent with international obligations, but detailed answers on many individual or grey‑area cases have not yet been provided.

Where to find official guidance

For official information on current rules, the government’s main guidance on claiming asylum in the UK is published on GOV.UK, where updates to procedures and eligibility are usually posted.

As the 2025 overhaul moves ahead, applicants, advisers, and local authorities will be watching that guidance — and statements from Shabana Mahmood — for signs of how quickly this harder line will reshape one of the most contested parts of Britain’s immigration system.