Denying refugees British citizenship is a shameful step backwards

In February 2025 the UK government introduced new guidance1 for assessing the good character requirement of citizenship applications. The updated guidance will make it likely that anyone who has arrived in the UK without permission—which includes travelling by small boat or hidden in a vehicle—will be refused British citizenship. This is despite the UK being a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which stipulates that asylum seekers and refugees should not be penalised for irregular entry.2 Denying refugees the chance to become British citizens breaches the convention and punishes people for the way they have reached sanctuary.

Preventing refugees from being recognised as British citizens is a regressive step for the UK. Imposing this policy change means the government is effectively handpicking who is allowed to be an equal member of our society and who will be excluded from ever truly belonging. By refusing refugees citizenship the government will be removing a vital element of long term stability and protection. This will likely have a detrimental impact on their health and exacerbate inequities.

Freedom from Torture3 is a UK based charity that supports people who have survived torture to heal, feel safe, and rebuild their lives. Every day in our therapy rooms across the UK we hear about the horrors that survivors of conflict and torture have fled. We know that adults and children are getting into dinghies to cross the Channel, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, because of a lack of other safe routes. When they undertake this journey, they are not thinking about UK policy—they are trying to find sanctuary and protection. If the risk of death does not discourage people from making these journeys, blocking them from British citizenship will not be a deterrent.

I know from my experience (KH) that this guidance will be harmful. As a recognised refugee and now UK citizen who fled my country to avoid further persecution, I believe that everyone deserves the chance to settle and fully integrate into society. I was tortured in my home country and came to the UK by a small boat. My first few years were extremely difficult, but in the end I was welcomed and made to feel at home. I made friends, I got a job, and started a family. As soon as I was able, I applied for citizenship. Becoming a British citizen was a source of great pride, second only to the MBE I received in recognition of my services to human rights. Removing the opportunity to belong from other refugees is profoundly damaging.

Every person recognised as a refugee in the UK deserves the opportunity to become a British citizen and to integrate fully and flourish in our communities. Many refugees have made valuable contributions to healthcare in the UK, including as doctors and nurses.45 In contrast to the divisive rhetoric that paints refugees as a drain on resources, the World Economic Forum has highlighted that refugees can make a disproportionately large contribution to economic growth, through employment, entrepreneurship, and remittances.6

This is yet another anti-refugee policy that will create hostility and harm some of the most vulnerable people in our society, condemning them to a life on the margins. These are people who need our protection, but instead the government is feeding the polarising narrative of us versus them. This action risks further stoking the flames of division. It was only last summer when riots across the UK reminded us how dangerous it is to demonise a marginalised community, making them an easy target for violence.

This is deeply disappointing and damaging to the moral and cultural fabric of this country. For a government that professes to be a champion of the rule of law,7 it is shameful to see them flagrantly disregarding the UN Refugee Convention, using refugees to score cheap political points and creating a hostile environment.

Across the world we are seeing the rights of refugees and migrants being eroded. Instead of punishing people who have already been through so much, 80% of those polled in the UK in 20238 want this country to have a fair and efficient asylum system that has protection at its core. The UK government must stand tall on the global stage, provide a compassionate alternative, and represent the majority of people in this country who are caring and tolerant.