Sudanese asylum seekers challenge Home Office rule changes for refugees

Two Sudanese asylum seekers are challenging a key element of Labour’s plans to strip refugees of basic rights, rejecting the home secretary’s accusation that they are “asylum shoppers”. Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to halve refugees’ leave to remain in the UK from five years to 30 months, while refugees will have to wait 20 years before being eligible for permanent stay in the UK. Previously, people could apply for permanent settlement after five years. In the first legal challenge against this change, the two asylum seekers, both of whom have nightmares and flashbacks about being tortured in their home country, argue the policy is indirectly discriminatory and also would not act as a deterrent to asylum seekers. In 2025, 96% of Sudanese asylum claims resulted in a grant of protection. In a policy paper published in November 2025 about restoring order and control to the UK’s immigration system Mahmood accused even “genuine refugees” of searching for the most attractive place to seek refuge, claiming that many “shop” their way across the continent. The UN’s refugee agency has condemned the policy, issuing a statement in December 2025 in response to the home secretary’s announcement. “UNHCR notes with concern the government’s plans to reduce the duration of leave granted to individuals in need of international protection to 30 months,” it said. …