People granted asylum in the UK will have to wait 20 years before they can apply to settle permanently, under plans due to be announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood today. The major shake-up to asylum policy comes as the government seeks to reduce small boat crossings and asylum claims.

Under the plans, people who are granted asylum will only be allowed to stay in the UK temporarily, with their refugee status regularly reviewed and those whose home countries are then deemed safe told to return. Currently refugee status lasts for five years, after which people can apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Now the Home Secretary wants to cut the initial period from five years to two-and-a-half years, after which refugee status will be regularly reviewed, reports the BBC.

But she plans to significantly lengthen the time it will take to gain permanent residence in the UK from five years to 20. The new measures will see refugee statuses reviewed every two-and-a-half years.

The policy has been inspired by Denmark, where a government led by the centre-left Social Democrats has presided over one of the toughest asylum and immigration systems in Europe.

In Denmark, refugees are given temporary residence permits, typically of two years, and in effect have to re-apply for asylum when they expire.