Migrants arriving illegally in small boats and in lorries to be refused British citizenship
Migrants arriving illegally in the UK in small boats or stowed away in lorries will be refused British citizenship, new Home Office guidance states.
The “Good Character” guidance for immigration staff has been changed to say people who have arrived in the UK illegally “having made a dangerous journey… will normally be refused citizenship” from 10 February, regardless of when they arrived.
It says a dangerous journey includes “but is not limited to, travelling by small boat or concealed in a vehicle or other conveyance”.
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The guidance clarifies this does not include arriving as a passenger on a commercial airline.
Previously, refugees who arrived by irregular routes had to wait 10 years before being considered for citizenship.
The Home Office said the change “further strengthens” measures to make it clear anyone entering the UK illegally will be refused British citizenship.
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People arriving in small boats have risen by almost a third since Labour took office, with nearly 25,000 people arriving between 4 July 2024 and 6 February 2025 – 28% higher than the same dates a year before.
It is also the second highest figure since records began in 2018.
Some Labour MPs and the Refugee Council have condemned the latest guidance as they say it will mean refugees can live in the UK but will not be allowed to have a place in society.
Labour MP Stella Creasy said on X the guidance “should be changed asap”.
“If we give someone refugee status, it can’t be right to then refuse them 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 and be forever second class.”
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The new guidance says small boats arrivals will not get citizenship
The Refugee Council said the change “flies in the face of reason” and said the British public want refugees in the UK “to integrate and contribute to their new communities, so it makes no sense for the government to erect more barriers”.
“We urge ministers to urgently reconsider,” Enver Solomon, CEO of the NGO said.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “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.”
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Labour’s manifesto promised to “smash the gangs”, with the government creating a Border Security Command and introducing new powers for authorities to prevent people smugglers from travelling, stop mobile phone use and shut down bank accounts.
On Monday, the second reading of the government’s Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill was passed with an overwhelming majority.
The bill officially scraps the Conservatives’ plan to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda and provides the legal backing to boost police powers against people smugglers.
The Conservatives have not yet responded to the new guidance but leader Kemi Badenoch last week said she would toughen up citizenship rules to make it more difficult for new immigrants to be able to permanently settle in the UK.
A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.
Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.
The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.
“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.
The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.
The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.
In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.
Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon
Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.
The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.
It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.
“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”
Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.
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