King’s Speech Re-affirms New Immigration Legislation

New Immigration and Asylum Policies Set Out in King’s Speech

The King has reaffirmed certain new immigration and asylum policies in his speech commemorating the State Opening of Parliament.

By and large, these policies are ones that the Labour government have already outlined in previous briefings, including new measures to tighten asylum in the UK, as well as overhauling appeals and deportation processes.

The King’s speech was a substantial one, with the accompanying briefing document covering over 37 bills and draft bills in total. Other notable bills covered in the briefing include public services reforms, energy, national security and education.

The Policies in Detail

The topic of immigration and asylum was only briefly touched on during the King’s speech. However, the accompanying briefing document released by the government explores specific policies, legislation and outcomes of the new Immigration and Asylum Bill in further detail.

The information contained in the briefing is summarised below:

• Legislation in this bill will bring into effect the main reforms announced in the Restoring Order and Control statement in November 2025, cited as “the most significant policy proposals on asylum in a generation.”
• The government will “restore order and control to the immigration system” by:
  • Speeding up the removal and deportation of foreign criminals and those with no right to be here.
  • Reducing the pull factors driving illegal migration.
  • Building on the changes already made, such as making refugee status temporary and ensuring co-operation with countries who have previously been uncooperative when taking back refugees with no legal status in the UK.
• A new asylum model based on “contribution, integration, and respect for UK laws” will be implemented, based on a system of earned entitlement.
• The government will replace current forms of protection with a single “core protection” model. This will allegedly “simplify decision-making” by “reduc[ing] the number of legal challenges and reduce costs by incentivising refugees to work.”
• Clearer definitions will be established in law as to when protection can be revoked, reinforcing that “it is only for those who remain at risk in their home countries, and who obey UK laws.”
• The government will require asylum seekers receiving taxpayer-funded accommodation and other support to “contribute to the cost borne by the British taxpayer once they are able to do so.”
• A new independent appeals body will be created, staffed by “professionally trained adjudicators” and integrated into the end-to-end immigration system to ensure cases flow through quickly to removal where appeals are unsuccessful.
• “Immediate forced removal” will be implemented for those who have exhausted all appeals.
• Age assessments will be strengthened to “root out false claims” by those claiming to be under 18 and better safeguard genuine children.
• Application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights will be reviewed and tightened to prevent exploitation and ensure that the public interest carries proper weight in immigration decisions.
• Definitions of “family life” will be further clarified to ensure that family is limited to a core family unit, such as spouses, parents, and children, to prevent dubious legal challenges.
• Law enforcement will be provided with enhanced tools to tackle exploitation, embedding provisions to ensure children are identified and supported more effectively.

The information in the briefing also includes some key statistics to supplement and contextualise the policies, such as outlining the sharp rise in asylum applications in the UK since 2021 (a 74% increase compared to 26% in the EU) and the high cost of taxpayer-funded accommodation for asylum seekers (approximately £4 billion).

Reactions and Criticisms

Labour’s approaches to immigration and asylum reforms have been met with criticism and scorn from charities, asylum rights organisations and its own members. The most recent briefing document released alongside the King’s speech has been no exception.

Imran Hussain, Director of External Affairs at Refugee Council, stated:

“Britain should have a fair and functioning asylum system that restores public confidence and supports refugees to rebuild their lives in safety, but the government’s proposed asylum bill won’t achieve these goals or fix what’s broken. Instead, it risks forcing many into destitution, keeping families separated, and making it even harder for people to put down roots in the UK… Britain has a proud history of saving lives through our asylum system. We can keep that tradition alive by making fair and fast decisions, so people who need our help are supported, rather than hurt by policies that will damage integration.”

Meanwhile, Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, stated in a speech to the House of Commons that she would not support changes to immigration policy that “traumatise children”, adding that “maintain the rights of those with indefinite leave to remain as new communities work alongside established communities”.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Refugee and Migrants Rights Director for Amnesty International UK, stated: “A new immigration Bill is needed, but not another one built on the false promise that weakening rights and restricting appeals will somehow fix a broken system. Human rights are not loopholes to be closed whenever politically convenient.”

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