LONDON – The UK government plans to block foreign nationals convicted of sexual offenses from receiving refugee status, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration moves to tighten immigration laws ahead of local elections.
The new measure, part of an amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, aims to address growing public concerns over migration and border control.
As immigration is an issue that has consistently dominated British political discourse, the amendment would apply to individuals whose convictions qualify them for the UK’s sex offenders register.
‘Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK,’ said Interior Minister Yvette Cooper in a statement Monday night.
The Labour government, elected last July, has been under pressure to curb unauthorized arrivals, especially as small-boat crossings across the English Channel continue to surge.
As far as statistics are concerned, more than 10,000 asylum seekers have arrived by sea so far this year — a 40% increase from the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, net migration to the UK reached a record 728,000 in the year ending June 2024, with most arrivals entering legally to work or study. But the sharp rise in Channel crossings and asylum claims has prompted the government to fast-track removals and tighten access to asylum protections.
The government is also reassessing the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which grants migrants the right to family life — a clause frequently cited in asylum appeals.
As part of broader reforms, the Home Office is turning to artificial intelligence to help streamline asylum processing — using AI tools to assist caseworkers in summarizing interviews and improving access to critical documents.
Britain had more than 90,000 asylum cases awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2024. In January, the government said it had achieved its highest number of removals since 2018 — deporting 16,400 individuals last year.
The announcement, coming just days before key local elections, is seen as a tougher stance on immigration and border security and mirrors the ongoing spree of orders being issued by the Trump administration to curb immigration.
