The announcement by the UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood “marks an unprecedented and damaging departure from the UK’s long tradition of offering” asylum seekers “sanctuary and the chance to rebuild their lives”. “These policies will inflict profound harm – not only on those accompanied by the Jesuit Refugee Service UK, but on all who seek safety here” in the UK. With these words, the refugee and asylum-seeker reception centre run by the UK Jesuits in London has criticised the reform of the UK asylum system by the British Government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which makes it more difficult for refugees to enter and remain in the country. Indeed, from this week, those who have been granted asylum will only be able to remain in the UK on a temporary basis, with their status being reviewed every 30 months. Furthermore, accepted refugees will have to wait 20 years, instead of five, to apply for permanent residence. Even Anglican Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani of Chelmsford criticised the new legislation together with Bishop Anderson Jeremiah of Edmonton who said that “the moment we surrender compassion in political discourse”, we “make the most vulnerable our societal scapegoats”. Several charities working with refugees — including Praxis; Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit; and the Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London — have also condemned the reform, calling it “cruel and dangerous”, and warning that it will not bring down the numbers of asylum seekers.