The UK government has introduced stricter immigration rules that will make it nearly impossible for undocumented migrants who arrive by sea or hidden in vehicles to become British citizens.
Under the new guidance, individuals entering the country illegally will have their citizenship applications refused, a Home Office spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. The policy is part of efforts to deter irregular migration amid growing political pressure.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is facing calls to reduce migration following the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which gained nearly four million votes in the last general election.
The decision has sparked criticism from some Labour MPs, with lawmaker Stella Creasy arguing that denying citizenship to those granted refugee status would leave them in a permanent state of exclusion. Free Movement, an immigration law blog, warned that the policy could prevent a large number of refugees from naturalizing, calling it “damaging to integration.”
The move comes as Parliament debates the government’s new Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, which seeks to give law enforcement expanded powers to disrupt smuggling networks. The bill is part of Starmer’s strategy to combat illegal crossings after scrapping the previous administration’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda.
Official figures show that 36,816 people crossed the Channel into the UK in 2024, a 25% increase from the previous year.
