Rabbis join call for government to rethink its settlement and citizenship reforms

Religious leaders, including three rabbis, have claimed government plans to reform the UK’s asylum rules by ending the right to permanent refugee status would damage integration and should be rethought.

Under plans announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, adults and accompanied children claiming asylum will receive a 30-month period of protection.

If, after 30 months, the countries from which they fled are deemed safe, they will be expected to return home.

This marks the end of the current system, whereby refugees are granted five years of protection and are allowed to bring their families, followed by the possibility of permanent settlement.

Mahmood’s proposals to toughen criteria for indefinite leave to remain could involve removing families and children who refuse the government’s offer to leave voluntarily.

Rabbi Rebecca Birk from the Finchley Progressive Synagogue is among three rabbis to have signed a letter, published by the Guardian, backed by seven bishops and an imam.

The letter states: “Stability, belonging and a clear pathway to citizenship are essential to building cohesive communities. Policies that make status more precarious and pathways more distant risk undermining that.”

The signatories, who also include Rabbi Naomi Goldman of Kol Chai Reform synagogue and Rabbi David Mason, executive director of HIAS+JCORE, urge the government to “pause, listen and revise” the plans.

Some communal leaders have also told Jewish News they support of the government’s proposals.

On Wednesday, the Government insisted its “position has not changed” on immigration reform, after Downing Street refused to commit to proposals to toughen the criteria for indefinite leave to remain previously set out by the Home Secretary.

A Government spokesperson reiterated the intention to “double the route to settlement from five to 10 years” and repeated the Home Secretary’s assertion that permanent residence is a “privilege” to be earned.

“The Government’s position has not changed,” they said.

“We will always welcome those who come to this country and contribute to our national life, but the privilege of living here forever should be earned, not automatic.

“But between 2021 and 2024, this country experienced levels of migration it had historically seen over four decades. We must be honest about the scale and impact of hundreds of thousands of low-skilled migrants getting settlement.

“The Government will double the route to settlement from five to 10 years.

“As announced in November, we are consulting to apply this change to those in the UK today, but have not received a settled status. We are currently reviewing the 200,000 responses and will outline our response in due course.”

Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner openly criticised the proposals when she spoke at a meeting of soft-left Labour MPs, claiming it was “un-British” to attempt to change the rules on indefinite leave.