Mahmood to Reopen UK Refugee Resettlement Scheme in Bid to Curb Small Boat Crossings

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to announce the reopening of a refugee resettlement programme for the UK, arguing that providing "safe and legal" routes is the most effective way to discourage people from attempting dangerous small boat crossings across the English Channel. The move, to be unveiled at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Monday, marks a significant shift in the government's approach to asylum and immigration policy.

According to the Home Office, the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) will reopen with immediate effect, having stopped accepting new applications in December 2024. Alongside the revived scheme, three new sponsorship routes will be introduced, allowing communities, universities, and companies to host refugees beginning next year. Officials expect hundreds of people to arrive through the UKRS initially, with numbers potentially rising to the "low thousands" as levels of illegal migration decrease. A cap will be established for each year, though specific figures have not yet been disclosed.

The government anticipates that approximately a quarter of those arriving through these routes will be Afghan women and girls, as well as Palestinians. Those granted entry under the safe and legal pathways will be placed on a five-year track toward permanent settlement in the UK. The decision to prioritise these groups reflects what officials describe as a commitment to assisting those fleeing war and persecution.

In her conference speech, Mahmood is expected to emphasise that "fairness" underpins her strategy. She will argue that limits on resettlement are necessary and that host communities "must be ready and able to welcome those who come here." The home secretary is also expected to state: "This is what we can do and who we can be as we restore control to our borders, bear down on the small boat crossings, and unlock the inherent generosity of this country."

The announcement comes against a backdrop of shifting migration figures. More than 18,500 people have crossed the Channel in small boats this year, compared with over 32,000 during the same period in 2025. The government views this decline as evidence that its broader enforcement strategy is working, though critics argue that other factors, including weather conditions and French interdiction efforts, may also play a role.

The UKRS was originally launched in 2021 and has since resettled 4,589 refugees, according to government statistics. It operated alongside other humanitarian routes, including programmes for Afghans following the Taliban takeover, Ukrainians displaced by Russia's full-scale invasion, and British National (Overseas) passport holders from Hong Kong. More than 39,000 people arrived under the Afghan Resettlement Programme before those schemes were either closed to new applicants or discontinued in July 2025. A separate programme allowing refugees to bring family members to the UK was paused in September 2025.

The reopening of the UKRS has drawn a mixed response from political figures and advocacy organisations. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticised the move, describing it as a "desperate attempt to appease" Labour critics who have voiced concerns about Mahmood's broader asylum reforms. Philp argued that no further migrants or asylum seekers should be admitted, "no matter how deserving," until illegal immigration has been reduced to near zero. He also accused the home secretary of "running scared of Angela Rayner and the Labour left" and claimed she was "opening up our borders even more in a desperate attempt to appease them."

Rayner, the housing secretary, has publicly criticised Mahmood's plans to extend the qualifying period for permanent residence. Under the proposed changes, most migrant workers would need to wait 10 years instead of five to qualify for settled status, while refugees could face a wait of up to 20 years. Rayner warned against shifting "the goalposts years down the line" for people who arrived in the UK earlier this decade expecting to secure permanent residence under existing rules.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also condemned the resettlement plans, stating that the UK is "not obligated to take in more migrants." He added that if his party were in power, those arriving under Labour's schemes would "not be able to stay." Farage further suggested that if Labour were confident the public supported its approach, it would call a general election to seek a mandate. He also referenced a Sunday Times report about a former bodyguard to the leader of Hamas who secured asylum and citizenship in the UK before allegedly plotting an attack against Jewish people in Europe. The newspaper reported that the man moved to the UK more than a decade ago and now faces extradition to Germany.

Refugee advocacy groups have broadly welcomed the resumption of resettlement but argue that the scale remains insufficient. Jon Featonby, chief policy analyst at the Refugee Council, described safe and legal routes as "essential to undermining people smugglers' business model," but cautioned that they "only work if they operate at scale." He called on the government to demonstrate ambition by offering "thousands of places, not hundreds," and urged ministers to reopen refugee family reunion without delay. Flora Alexander, executive director of the International Rescue Committee UK, similarly welcomed the prioritisation of Afghan women and girls and Palestinians, describing the UKRS as a "well-established safe route" that helps people "rebuild their lives in the UK." She added, however, that the scheme "needs to be scaled up if it is to make a real difference."

The political context of the announcement is significant. It comes on the eve of Labour's conference in Liverpool, where internal divisions over asylum policy are expected to be on full display. Mahmood's proposals to extend settlement timelines have already drawn criticism from within her own party, with Rayner emerging as a prominent voice of dissent. The home secretary's decision to reopen the UKRS may be an attempt to balance tougher enforcement measures with a humanitarian gesture that appeals to Labour's traditional values.

The government's broader immigration strategy appears to rest on a dual approach: cracking down on irregular arrivals while expanding legal pathways. Ministers argue that without safe and legal routes, desperate people will continue to risk their lives in small boats, enriching criminal networks. By offering capped, controlled resettlement, the government hopes to undermine the smugglers' business model while demonstrating that the UK remains committed to its international obligations.

However, the effectiveness of this strategy remains uncertain. The cap on annual arrivals has not been specified, and it is unclear whether the "low thousands" projected by the Home Office will be sufficient to deter Channel crossings. Critics on the right argue that any expansion of legal migration encourages more people to attempt the journey, while those on the left contend that the numbers are too small to make a meaningful difference. The coming months will test whether Mahmood's gamble pays off, both politically and in terms of border control outcomes.