Britain’s Labour government on Monday unveiled its most sweeping asylum reforms in generations, shifting refugee status from a five-year path to permanent settlement to a precarious temporary permit reviewed every 30 months and revocable if home countries are later judged safe.

The overhaul also extends the wait for indefinite leave to remain to 20 years and eliminates statutory guarantees for housing and financial support.

The Home Office, led by Shabana Mahmood, said taxpayer-funded support will be prioritized for those “contributing to the economy and local communities,” while aid could be revoked for asylum seekers who can work but do not, and those who break the law.

The move has sparked fierce criticism for hypocrisy: Labour, in opposition, repeatedly condemned similar Conservative deterrence measures as inhumane and ineffective, yet now exceeds them for political gain.

Over 100 charities accused the government of “scapegoating” migrants through “performative policies” that risk destitution and prolong uncertainty.

They warned such measures would inflame racism, erode international protections, and revive a “hostile environment” reminiscent of the Windrush scandal, when thousands of Caribbean-born residents who had lived legally in Britain for decades were wrongly detained, denied services, and even deported under harsh immigration rules.

Critics argue the reforms undermine Britain's asylum tradition, prioritizing optics over genuine refugees fleeing persecution.