Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Act 2025 on LGBT individuals fleeing the new glorification and financing offences in Senegal; and what their reasoning is for the temporary 30-month protection status for claimants impacted by the criminalisation of LGBT individuals in their home countries.

Under s51 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, a person convicted overseas is only presumed to have committed a particularly serious crime where the act constituting the offence would have constituted a Schedule 3 sex offence in the UK.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months is the first step towards implementing the “core protection” model, announced as part of the reforms last autumn. These changes apply to all adults and accompanied children claiming asylum from 2 March 2026, including but not limited to those who have a well-founded fear of persecution or are at risk of serious harm on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Core Protection will allow those who are at risk to remain in the UK as long as necessary, whilst it is unsafe for them to return.

Refugees will be able to switch into a bespoke Protection, Work and Study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route. This will enable them to earn down their length of time before they can settle in the UK. This route will not include a safe, return review.