The UK government is preparing to introduce a major immigration bill that combines stricter asylum rules with expanded safe and legal routes for refugees. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to unveil the legislation next week as she seeks to win support from Labour's progressive wing while maintaining the government's tougher approach to immigration.

The proposed bill comes as Labour leader Andy Burnham prepares to become prime minister next month, with growing debate inside the party over the future direction of immigration policy.

New Safe and Legal Refugee Routes Planned

The government plans to introduce new pathways that will allow thousands of refugees to legally settle in the UK over the coming years. The first scheme will allow community groups to sponsor refugees and help them rebuild their lives in Britain.

A second route will enable universities to sponsor refugee students, with applications expected to open within months and arrivals beginning next year. A third programme, due to launch next year, will allow employers to sponsor refugees through employment opportunities.

Government sources said the schemes will initially admit hundreds of refugees annually before gradually expanding to thousands each year. Officials say the Canadian community sponsorship model, which has helped around 400,000 refugees settle since 1979, inspired the UK's new approach.

Immigration Bill Introduces Tougher Restrictions

Alongside the new refugee routes, the legislation includes stricter immigration and asylum measures. The bill proposes tighter limits on human rights-based immigration claims and modern slavery protections. Foreign nationals convicted of crimes would lose access to modern slavery protections regardless of sentence length, removing the previous 12-month threshold.

Authorities would also reject last-minute modern slavery claims if officials believe they could have been submitted earlier or involve false documentation. The government also plans to tighten family-based immigration rules.

Future applications under the right to family life would normally be limited to parents, spouses and children under 18, except in exceptional cases. Family reunion applications would also need to be submitted by a UK-based sponsor rather than relatives living overseas. In addition, the bill introduces a new legal test stating that deporting foreign criminals is in the public interest and should only be blocked in exceptional circumstances.

Debate Within Labour Intensifies

The proposed reforms have triggered divisions inside the Labour Party. Some MPs and refugee organisations argue that the asylum restrictions are too severe and risk harming vulnerable people. Labour peer Alf Dubs urged Andy Burnham to move the Home Secretary to another cabinet role and abandon what he described as policies of "performative cruelty." The veteran peer, who arrived in Britain as a child refugee in 1939 after fleeing Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, said:

“This is Labour’s reset moment when we can consign to the past some of the appalling language used by politicians to describe refugees: ‘invaders’, ‘an island of strangers’, ‘tearing our country apart’.” He also said the Home Secretary's talents “would be better used elsewhere in the cabinet”.

Government Reviews Some Immigration Proposals

Despite backing the overall direction of the reforms, the government is reconsidering some measures. One proposal under review would require migrants to wait 10 years instead of five before becoming eligible for indefinite leave to remain. Officials are also discussing exemptions for care workers following concerns raised within the party. Meanwhile, disagreements have emerged over the future of Immigration Minister Mike Tapp after allegations that he briefed the media on the proposals without approval.

Refugee Numbers Decline

Recent immigration figures show refugee arrivals through safe and legal routes have fallen sharply. During the first quarter of 2026, just over 3,600 people received protection through resettlement programmes or family reunion schemes, representing a 50% decline compared with the same period in 2025.

Family reunion applications have remained suspended since September 2025 and there is still no confirmed date for reopening the programme. Refugee organisations argue that the lack of legal pathways is forcing many families fleeing conflict and persecution to undertake dangerous journeys in search of safety and reunion.

Child Protection Measures Included

The legislation also contains stronger safeguards for children who are victims of trafficking or exploitation. Every trafficked child would be assigned an independent guardian to help support their protection, welfare and recovery.

Government officials say the overall package is designed to restore confidence in the immigration system while maintaining Britain's humanitarian responsibilities. A Labour source said, “The home secretary’s belief is we must play our humanitarian role to provide safe harbour to those fleeing peril.

“That is why we will open new, safe and legal routes for genuine refugees. These will be modest at first, they will grow in time, with the aim of thousands of refugees a year eventually coming to build a new life here in Britain once order and control has been restored.”