Migrants who enter the UK illegally via small boats or concealed in lorries will be refused British citizenship under new Home Office guidance.
The updated “Good Character” guidance, which applies from February 10, states that individuals who have made “a dangerous journey” to reach the UK—such as crossing by small boat or hiding in a vehicle—will normally be denied citizenship, regardless of when they arrived. However, the rules do not apply to those who arrive as passengers on commercial airlines.
Previously, refugees who arrived through irregular routes were required to wait 10 years before becoming eligible for British citizenship. The Home Office says this change strengthens existing measures and reinforces the message that entering the UK illegally will have long-term consequences.
The number of people arriving in small boats has surged since Labour took office, with nearly 25,000 crossings recorded between July 4, 2024, and February 6, 2025—a 28% increase compared to the same period the previous year. This marks the second-highest figure since records began in 2018.
Labour MPs and refugee organizations have condemned the new policy, arguing that it effectively denies refugees a permanent place in British society.
Labour MP Stella Creasy took to social media to criticize the guidance, calling for an urgent reversal. “If we give someone refugee status, it can’t be right to then refuse them a route to become a British citizen,” she wrote. “To say they can have a home in our country but never a place in our society is to make them forever second-class.”
The Refugee Council also opposed the change, saying it contradicts the principle of integration. “The British public wants refugees to contribute to their communities, so it makes no sense for the government to erect more barriers,” said CEO Enver Solomon. “We urge ministers to urgently reconsider.”
A Home Office spokesperson defended the policy, stating: “There are already rules that can prevent those arriving illegally from gaining citizenship. This policy guidance further strengthens measures to make it clear that anyone who enters the UK illegally, including small boat arrivals, faces having a British citizenship application refused.”
The policy aligns with Labour’s broader immigration strategy. The government recently passed the **Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill**, which officially scraps the previous Conservative plan to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda. The bill also expands police powers to crack down on people smugglers, allowing authorities to restrict travel, block mobile phone use, and freeze bank accounts linked to smuggling networks.
While the Conservatives have yet to formally respond to the new guidance, party leader Kemi Badenoch has previously expressed support for stricter citizenship requirements, vowing to make it more difficult for new immigrants to obtain permanent settlement in the UK.
