UK review of refugee policy leaves many in 'anxious limbo'

A new UK government policy that reviews a refugee's status after five years could hinder their prospects of being able to rebuild their lives and integrate into British society, warned a leading UK charity on Thursday.

Under new Home Office instructions released last week, the UK will now review the safety of a refugee’s home country after five years.

In a statement published on Thursday, the Refugee Council said: "The change will prolong the anxious limbo many refugees are forced to endure while their asylum claims are processed by a further five years as they worry about their long-term futures."

"All refugees who are granted asylum should automatically be granted permanent residency," added the statement.

Before this new policy measure was introduced, refugees were able to apply for permanent residence in the UK after five years, said the Refugee Council, which works with refugees in the UK to help them rebuild their lives.

But now, their cases will automatically be under review after this time period, and if their home country is deemed safe, they will be forced to leave Britain.

This undermines the stability available to those in need of international protection, said the Refugee Council.

"This policy will result in refugees who have demonstrated their need for protection being prevented from being able to properly rebuild their lives and being left with the constant fear of return hanging over their heads,” Refugee Council director of advocacy Lisa Doyle said.

"Actively reviewing individual cases after five years promises to be a costly, bureaucratic and unnecessary nightmare that completely misunderstands the fact that many refugees desperately want to return home of their own accord anyway when it’s safe to do so.”

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In response to the statements, the UK Home Office insisted this was not a change in policy, and that “we have never operated a policy of automatic settlement,” a spokesperson told Middle East Eye on Friday.

“Safe return review” policy was initially published in February 2016, the Home Office said, and the new document, was designed to give clearer “guidance to asylum caseworkers on the duration of leave to be granted to those recognised as refugees.”

The Refugee Council urged the government to consider implementing policies which foster “successful integration rather than completely undermining it.”

Refugees who promote extremism, are considered to be a danger to national security, or have committed a serious crime do not qualify for refugee status, and nor do those who have committed a war crime, crime against humanity or “other serious crimes,” outside the country of refuge.  

In 2016, the UK granted permanent settlement to 13,071 refugees, the Home Office said.

The UK, under former prime minister David Cameron, vowed to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020. The government has thus far resettled 5,706, the Refugee Council told Middle East Eye, citing government data.