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People granted asylum in the UK could face a 20-year wait before becoming eligible for permanent settlement, under sweeping new reforms Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will announce on Monday.

The overhaul, one of the most significant changes to asylum policy in years, is aimed at deterring small-boat crossings and reducing the number of asylum claims. Under the proposals, asylum will be granted only on a temporary basis, with refugee status reassessed every few years. Anyone whose home country is later judged safe would be expected to return.

At present, refugees receive five years of protection before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain. Mahmood’s plan reduces that initial period to two-and-a-half years but dramatically extends the journey to permanent

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