The Home Office has announced a new policy ending automatic settlement for refugees after 5 years. The policy states that ‘all those who apply for settlement protection after completing the appropriate probationary period of limited leave will be subjected to a safe return review’. The idea of ‘safe return reviews’ was introduced by Theresa May while she was Home Secretary in her 2015 Conservative Party Conference speech with the stated intention behind it to ensure that ‘only those who continue to need protection benefit from settlement on this route’. Concerns cited around the policy include the impact on the integration opportunities of refugees, particularly in terms of challenges in accessing work and education given automatic settlement is no longer guaranteed, as well as the bureaucratic burden on the Home Office to actively review individual cases. A response from Refugee Council is here.
Thanks, to Asylum Matters