Government unveils plans for new Immigration and Asylum Bill in today’s King’s Speech

Immigration and Asylum Bill

"Legislation will be introduced to increase confidence in the security of the immigration and asylum systems"

● Radical reform is needed to address the scale of illegal arrivals and increase the Government's ability to remove those with no right to be here. This legislation will bring into effect the main reforms announced in the Restoring Order and Control statement in November 2025, the most significant policy proposals on asylum in a generation.

● The Government will build on the changes already made – making refugee status temporary and securing co-operation from a number of countries who had previously refused to take back those with no right to be in the UK. We will restore order and control to the immigration system: speeding up the removal and deportation of foreign criminals and those with no right to be here, and reducing the pull factors driving illegal migration.

● The UK is an open, tolerant and generous country that celebrates diversity and wants those values reflected in its institutions – that has not, and will not, change. But restoring control at our borders is vital for maintaining confidence in those values.

What does the Bill do?

● Claiming asylum in Britain today is more attractive than elsewhere in Europe – surging by 74 per cent since 2021, compared to a 26 per cent rise across the European Union (EU). Over 400,000 people have claimed asylum in that time, with more than 100,000 currently in taxpayer-funded accommodation at a cost of £4 billion last year.

● The Government has cut £1 billion from the asylum bill, increased returns by 31 per cent in the 19 months since July 2024 compared with the 19 months previously, and pledged to open new safe and legal routes as an alternative to dangerous small boat crossings. But we must go further to restore order and control, whilst also offering sanctuary to those in need and genuinely fleeing danger.

● The Bill will:

Create a fair but firm asylum system

○ Introduce a new asylum model based on contribution, integration, and respect for UK laws. It will build on reforms enacted in March 2026 to ensure that whilst protection will be provided, entitlements will need to be earned.

○ Replace the various forms of protection with a single 'core protection' model. This will simplify decision-making; reduce the number of legal challenges and reduce costs by incentivising refugees to work.

○ Define in law when protection can be revoked – making clear it is only for those who remain at risk in their home countries, and who obey UK laws.

○ Require asylum seekers receiving taxpayer-funded accommodation and other support to contribute to the cost borne by the British taxpayer once they are able to do so.

Scale up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK and ensure immigration rules are enforced

○ Create a new independent appeals body. This will deliver an appeals system that is fast, fair and restores public confidence. It will be staffed by professionally trained adjudicators and, while decisions will be fully independent, the new body will be integrated into the end-to-end immigration system to ensure cases flow through quickly to removal where appeals are unsuccessful.

○ Enable immediate forced removal of those who have exhausted all appeals.

○ Strengthen age assessment to root out false claims by those claiming to be under 18 and better safeguard genuine children.

Restore order and control to the immigration system and ensure it operates fairly and effectively

○ Tighten the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights to prevent exploitation of the system and ensure that the public interest carries proper weight in immigration decisions.

○ Define family life, to ensure that family is limited to a core family unit, such as spouses, parents, and children, to prevent dubious legal challenges on the grounds of family life.

○ Reform the modern slavery legislative framework to clearly set out the Government's obligations, enabling it to address potential misuse while maintaining essential protections. This includes addressing late presentation of modern slavery experience, which can significantly increase the time taken to identify individuals and move them through the system.

○ Provide law enforcement with enhanced tools to tackle exploitation, and embedding provisions to ensure children are identified and supported more effectively.

Territorial extent and application

● The Bill will extend and apply to the whole of the UK.

Key facts

● UK asylum claims are up by 74 per cent since 2021, while the EU has seen a 26 per cent increase in the same period. Between 2021-25, 450,000 asylum claims have been made, while 32,000 asylum-related returns have been carried out in the same period.

● 107,000 asylum seekers are currently receiving state support, the vast majority of whom (103,000) are in asylum accommodation. This cost £4 billion last year.

● In 2025, there were 48,408 grants of refugee status and 4,787 grants of Humanitarian Protection. Introducing a single form of protection will simplify asylum decision-making and clarify the entitlements afforded to those in need of protection.

● Article 8 rights are being used to stop removal of those who are living here illegally. From January to September 2022, 86 per cent of people who raised rights-based applications while in detention awaiting removal were released.