Reforms to the government's asylum and returns policy

On 17 November the Home Office published ‘Restoring Order and Control’, a new statement on the government's asylum policy. Described in parliament by the Home Secretary as "the most sweeping asylum reforms in modern times".

We've put together a summary of the changes, what this means for housing and CIH's response. 

Statement summary

New “Core Protection” for refugees

• Refugee leave will be limited: Protection will last just 2.5 years before it needs to be renewed, rather than being more open-ended
• The path to permanent settlement (“indefinite leave to remain”) is dramatically lengthened - from five years to 20 years
• Access to public funds (welfare) may be tightened, especially for those who have some means to support themselves or assets.

New “Protection Work and Study” route 

• The reforms introduce a new in-country route allowing people granted protection to switch into a “Protection Work and Study” pathway if they secure suitable employment or begin study at an approved level and pay a fee
• Entering this route enables individuals to earn settlement more quickly than they would under the standard protection route, effectively creating an incentive linked to work or study participation. 

Asylum support / accommodation changes 

• The current legal duty to support destitute asylum seekers (especially via accommodation) will be revoked. Instead, support becomes discretionary
• Some asylum seekers who have the right to work (or could support themselves) may be denied housing support
• Individuals with assets may be required to contribute towards their accommodation, and the Home Office says it will seek to recover costs later if more income or assets are found.  

Tighter enforcement and removals 

• The government plans to increase removals of failed asylum seekers, including families
• There will be more pressure to enforce returns - where voluntary return is refused, there may be a shift to more forced / enforced removal
• The appeals system will be reformed: the government wants to create a new appeals body, speed up certain weak-claim appeals, and make appeal “routes” more streamlined so that once someone loses their appeal, they must leave.  

Illegal working enforcement 

• Stronger action on people working illegally: more raids, more civil penalties on employers
• Right-to-work checks will be expanded to cover more types of work / employers (e.g. gig economy) to prevent illegal work.  

Safe and legal routes 

• The government still plans to maintain “capped safe and legal routes” for genuine refugees
• There is a commitment to expand community sponsorship, meaning more refugees would arrive via sponsorship by local communities rather than only via government schemes.  

What this means for housing 

Increased homelessness risk. Making asylum support discretionary could push more people into destitution and rough sleeping, forcing some to rely on unsafe, informal accommodation. 

Cost shifting. A move to recoup costs from people with some means might shift financial burdens more on individuals - but local housing providers / councils may also need to pick up more of the cost or risk being left to house people with very limited state support. 

Temporary accommodation challenges. Private landlords may well be reluctant to offer tenancies to those who have only short-term permission to stay in the UK, adding to homelessness pressures. 

Integration / community pressure. The stronger enforcement and fewer “pull factors” may reduce inflows over time, but there could be short-to-medium term disruption as people navigate tightened rules. Community sponsorship is one route, but it requires local capacity (housing, services, community readiness). The uncertainty affecting individuals over many years, including the inability to reunite with their families, is likely to be very counterproductive to community cohesion and have the opposite effects of those intended. Furthermore, if (as seems likely) the measures do not significantly reduce 'small boat’ arrivals, there could be renewed community tensions. 

Policy uncertainty. For local authorities and housing providers, these reforms create uncertainty: planning and resourcing services (e.g. for asylum seekers, refugees) becomes harder when long-term support is no longer guaranteed. The massive increase in Home Office workload (because of the need to undertake frequent case reviews) seems likely to lead to delays and large numbers of refugees ‘in limbo’ awaiting the outcome of reviews. 

CIH's response

CIH's chief executive, Gavin Smart, commented on the reforms: "CIH recognises the need for a fair, well-managed asylum system but the measures outlined in the government’s latest asylum and returns policy risk deepening the housing emergency and pushing more people into homelessness.

"The government has committed to a strategy “to put Britain back on track to ending homelessness”. Removing support from people who are already destitute and widening the gap between immigration policy and housing support will do the opposite. Local authorities and homelessness services, already under immense pressure, could face a surge in demand as more people are forced into unsafe temporary accommodation or left with no option but to sleep rough.

"The housing crisis was not caused by people seeking safety or fleeing persecution. It is the result of decades of under-investment in genuinely affordable social homes. Everyone – whether a British national or someone seeking refuge – should have access to suitable emergency accommodation and adequate support. Safe, secure housing in an emergency is a basic necessity and removing it does not come without cost. When people are left destitute or forced onto the streets, pressures increase across public services – including policing, health and social care – creating avoidable financial and social costs. 

"Housing professionals see the consequences of policy decisions every day. When people fall through the gaps, pressure increases on already stretched services, local cohesion suffers, and the costs to the public purse grow. A coordinated, cross-government approach is essential – one that prioritises safe accommodation, invests in social housing, and ensures that immigration and housing policy work together rather than at odds.

"We urge the government to work with the housing sector, local authorities, and voluntary organisations to develop solutions rooted in evidence, fairness, and long-term thinking. Restoring order and control must not come at the expense of basic dignity, community cohesion or the shared goal of ending homelessness for good."