Keep the 5-Year ILR route for refugees. Do not extend it to 10 or 20 years
We call on the UK Government to preserve the current 5-year route (ILR) for refugees and people with humanitarian protection.
Signatures
52,849
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 10,000/10,000 · reached
Debate threshold (100,000) · 52,849/100,000
- 14 APR 2026Government respondedHome OfficeGovernment reply
As set out in the Restoring Order & Control paper, those eligible for protection will be on a 20-year route to settlement. We will introduce a new route where refugees may ‘earn’ settlement sooner.
Read full response - 02 JAN 202610,000 signatures reachedEligible for a government response
- 22 DEC 2025Petition opened for signaturesCreated by S Babar
Background
We believe that proposals to extend this period to 10 or even 20 years would create severe, long-term hardship for millions of people including children who call the UK their only home.
Many refugees have already suffered war, violence, persecution, and trauma. We think keeping them in temporary status for 10–20 years, without a stable path to settlement, is inhumane, and it could prevent families from healing, integrating, and contributing fully to society.
We urge the Government to protect the existing 5-year ILR route and ensure that refugees can rebuild their lives in safety, stability, and dignity. Finally, for many of us, this is not just about rules, we walk under a sky that offers no safety and upon a ground that gives no stability.