Britain plans tougher settlement rules for refugees

By Yoruk Bahceli

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will no longer automatically extend settlement and family reunion rights to migrants who have been granted asylum, the government announced on Wednesday in a further effort to curb immigration.

The Labour government has been tightening its immigration policies in a bid to curb support for the populist Reform UK party, and is particularly focused on reducing the number of people arriving illegally from France in small boats.

Migrants with refugee status can currently qualify for permanent residence after five years. The new proposal will mean permanent residence is not guaranteed, and will be subject to a longer process that includes showing a contribution to Britain.

"The changes will bring an end to the unfair system that sees those crossing the channel in a small boat having greater rights to settlement and family reunion than those who arrive through proper legal routes and even British citizens," the government said in a statement.

The plans build on tougher settlement rules for all migrants set out by interior minister Shabana Mahmood on Monday.

Those included requiring applicants to make social security contributions, have a clean criminal record, not claim benefits, speak English and volunteer in their communities. The government has also said it will double qualifying periods for permanent residence to 10 years.

Wednesday's announcement also said refugees would also lose the automatic right to bring their families to Britain. The government had suspended such family reunion applications in September.

The government said refugees would not be returned to their home countries and would be entitled to what it called "core protections". It did not spell out how long refugees meeting the conditions would need to wait to qualify for residence.

Further details on the changes would be set out later this year, the government said.

(Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli; editing by William James)