Keep 5-Year ILR Route for Existing Refugees-Apply New Rules Only to Applicants

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

We request that the UK Government ensure the newly announced asylum and immigration rules are not applied retrospectively to individuals who already hold refugee status. Refugees are relied on the UK’s previously published rules, including the 5-year route to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Altering their pathway after approval or after submission would undermine the principles of legal certainty, legitimate expectation, and non-retroactivity, which are fundamental to UK administrative and immigration.
This approach is consistent with the UK’s Human Rights Act, including protections for private and family life under Article 8 ECHR, and with the long-standing UK commitment that policy changes should not destabilise those who have already acted in good faith under previous rules.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign the following petitions:

Keep the 5-Year ILR route for refugees. Do not extend it to 10 or 20 years
Keep the 5-Year ILR route for refugees. Do not extend it to 10 or 20 years

Keep 5-year Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for those already granted asylum
Keep 5-year Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for those already granted asylum.

Timeline

24 Nov 2025	Petition opened for signatures
5 Jan 2026	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21

Status Rejected

Rejected 5 Jan 2026

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