Refugees granted asylum in the UK will no longer be automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, Sir Keir Starmer will announce.
The prime minister will reveal the plan for asylum policy changes at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Copenhagen on Thursday, where he will co-chair a meeting of leaders looking at different approaches to tackling illegal migration.
Sir Keir will tell the EPC, a forum of 44 countries formed after Russia invaded Ukraine, that refugees will not have the automatic right to family reunion.
On 1 September, the government suspended the family reunion route as ministers figured out a new asylum policy, which will be unveiled later this autumn.
The route allowed people granted asylum to sponsor their immediate family to join them as a way of reuniting families separated by conflict and persecution.
They did not need to meet the income or English language requirements typically required for other UK family visa routes.
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Labour’s new hard stance on migration
Sir Keir is set to announce a new partnership with Denmark, backed by up to £3m, to tackle the causes of migration in Western Balkan countries, including by encouraging people to stay in the region and take up jobs there.
He will discuss the changes with the other leaders and talk about other ways European countries can work together to tackle illegal migration.
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, earlier this week, told the Labour conference gaining indefinite leave to remain (ILR) – which gives people the right to settle, work and study in the UK – will take longer than the current five years to gain.
She said depending on a person’s contribution to the UK it could take them around 10 years, with some less time and some more.
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Inside Britain’s asylum seeker capital
The home secretary said she plans to introduce further requirements to gain ILR, including:
• Being in work
• Making national insurance contributions
• Not being on benefits
• Learning English to a high standard
• No criminal record
• “Truly giving back to the community” through, for example, volunteering
Ahead of the EPC meeting, Sir Keir said: “I believe that if you want to come to the UK, you should contribute to our society. That is the tolerant and fair approach to migration that our communities are built on, but the current system is not fit for purpose.
“That is why we’re making fundamental changes to what those granted asylum are afforded in the UK. Settlement must be earned by contributing to our country, not by paying a people smuggler to cross the channel in a boat.
“The UK will continue to play its role in welcoming genuine refugees fleeing persecution. But we must also address the pull factors driving dangerous and illegal small boats crossings. There will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it.”
