Refugee Action is deeply concerned that the Government has introduced new rules which threaten the right of refugees to stay in Britain and build a new life for themselves and their families.

The new ‘safe return reviews’ introduced yesterday (Thursday 9 March) mean refugees’ status will be actively reviewed after five years. This means refugees who have already gone through the many challenges of the UK’s rigorous asylum process and have been recognised as being in need of international protection are now set to face years of uncertainty as to whether they can settle properly in their new homes.

Refugee Action Chief Executive Stephen Hale said: “This decision will be hugely destabilising for people who have fled unimaginable horrors and been granted refugee status by the UK, and who want to get on with rebuilding their lives in safety. Instead, this change will see them spending the next five years anxiously looking over the shoulders.

“Not only is this entirely unfair – it will also be hugely bureaucratic, time-consuming and costly, with no obvious benefit to anyone involved.

“Instead of generating needless anxiety and red-tape, the Government should instead be focusing on supporting refugees to live independent lives and contribute to their new communities”