Resource

We are deeply alarmed and disappointed by the government’s announcement on ‘earned settlement’. It will cause profound and lasting harm to refugees, including survivors of torture, trafficking and other forms of extreme cruelty. The government had an opportunity to change its approach after receiving extensive evidence about the devastating consequences of this policy but instead has doubled down on its approach that will damage the lives and futures of thousands of men, women, families and children, as well as harm wider integration and social cohesion.

Extending the qualifying period for settlement to 20 years for refugees who have not arrived through a safe and legal route, with a further ten years for those deemed to have entered through an ‘illegal’ method, is simply inhumane.  This will not deter people fleeing war, persecution, torture and violence, who are fighting for their lives and seeking safety in the UK. When legal routes are so severely limited, people will continue to take desperate measures to reach safety. It will punish people who have already endured unimaginable harm, leaving those recognised as refugees facing decades of uncertainty, insecurity and fear of removal.

Stability and security are essential for recovery from trauma. Through our clinical work, we know that survivors of torture and trafficking who live under the constant threat of losing their immigration status, or who are repeatedly required to navigate complex and adversarial immigration processes, can experience worsening symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Forcing refugees to wait decades for the security of settlement risks exacerbating trauma, increasing the likelihood of destitution and preventing people from rebuilding their lives.

These proposals will also undermine family unity, leaving many refugees unable to reunite with their children and other loved ones for years, potentially decades. This separation compounds the psychological harm experienced by people who have already lost so much, making recovery and integration significantly harder.

Rather than enabling refugees to establish secure and meaningful lives, these measures risk entrenching poverty, insecurity and exclusion, while placing additional pressure on public services.

Offering faster routes to settlement to those who can work or study, while imposing decades of uncertainty and systemic barriers on refugees, is not only counterproductive but also goes against the fundamental principle of offering meaningful and genuine protection. Refugees should not have spend decades proving that they are worthy of rebuilding their lives.