Quakers warn new asylum plans could end the right to sanctuary
The Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network (QARN) has expressed serious concerns over proposed changes to the UK's asylum system.
Their new briefing document, published on 31 December, analyses the government's proposals and their potential impact on refugees and their families
It suggests that the changes could end the right to sanctuary and stop integration.
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The UK risks abandoning those who come seeking safety and a future here
- QARN
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Currently, refugees are granted five years' leave to remain before applying for indefinite leave to remain.
Under the new proposals, this would be cut to 30 months, with asylum seekers required to reapply for permission to stay every 2.5 years, paying fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge each time.
Settlement could take up to 20 years, with requirements yet to be clarified, and citizenship rules could penalise those with prior “irregular arrival."
A QARN spokesperson said: "These proposals turn sanctuary into uncertainty, forcing refugees into long-term limbo, separating families, and making integration almost impossible.
"The UK risks abandoning those who come seeking safety and a future here."
The government is encouraging refugees to move onto a new Protection Work and Study visa if they find employment or study.
While this could reduce the time to settlement, QARN warns that claiming benefits could increase the number of years required, leaving people uncertain and potentially disadvantaged.
The briefing document notes that charities and legal experts have highlighted multiple concerns.
Read the full briefing paper here (offsite link)
Their concerns also cover different proposals around the way other migrants, including those coming to the UK for work or family reunion, will be treated.
One particular concern is that changing the rules after people have arrived is unfair.
For example, if someone is near the end of the current 10-year route, will they suddenly find themselves on a 20-year route, with the expectation that they will continue to pay every 2.5 years to renew their visa?
QARN warns that migrant workers and their families are increasingly being assessed through an economic lens and that long-term tied visas could lead to exploitation.
Salary-based requirements could discriminate against certain regions, women, ethnic minorities and caregivers.
Family reunion rights, curtailed in September 2025, would remain limited, with only those on the work and study route able to apply under complex, unspecified rules.
Survey
Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network is asking for your help to find out what Quakers are doing alongside refugees and people seeking sanctuary in the UK.
QARN hopes to learn more about activities by individual Quakers and local Quaker meetings, so that they can put people in touch with each other and strengthen our collective witness.
They will also be sharing a report on the responses next year. QARN is asking for each local Quaker meeting to complete this short questionnaire by 25 January 2026.