UK religious leaders urge Mahmood to ‘slow down and rethink’ refugee plans

Cutting period of protection from five years to 30 months is a risk to social cohesion, say bishops, rabbis and imam Full letter: The government must rethink its settlement and citizenship reforms Religious leaders have said that plans to rip up the UK’s asylum rules by ending the right to permanent refugee status would damage integration and should be rethought. A group, which includes seven bishops, three rabbis and an imam, said they had “grave concerns” about Shabana Mahmood’s proposed changes to settlement and citizenship rules. In a letter to the Guardian, they urge the home secretary to “pause, listen and revise” the plans. The letter echoes the concerns of at least 100 Labour backbenchers who have claimed the changes will undermine the government’s commitment to social cohesion. Under the plans, adults and accompanied children claiming asylum will receive a 30-month period of protection, if it is granted. If after 30 months the countries from which they fled are deemed safe, they will be expected to return home. It would end the current system whereby refugees are given five years of protection and allowed to bring their families, followed by possible permanen