The British government plans to tighten its asylum system, following Denmark's model, to reduce immigration and address the political storm over migrants crossing the English Channel

The UK government has unveiled unprecedented changes to its asylum system in a bid to deter irregular migration and make deportations easier.

Under the plans, refugee status will become temporary and new capped "safe and legal routes" into the UK will be created.

The UK government has called the proposed changes the "most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times".

The UK government unveils sweeping asylum reforms, replacing automatic refugee status with temporary protection, tightening deportation rules, family reunion rules, and ECHR interpretations, amid public backlash and political division.

Shabana Mahmood tells MPs families are currently not being removed "even when we know their home country is perfectly safe".

This is part of sweeping reforms to the nation’s asylum system, which will also make refugee status temporary and require claimants to wait 20 years before applying for permanent settlement

The moves come after UK home secretary Shabana Mahmood published a set of new policies on Monday, under which newly-arrived asylum seekers will no longer qualify for an indefinite right to stay, while existing cases will be reviewed after 2½ years and people will be sent back to their countries, if those countries are then deemed safe.

Digital ID cards are set to be issued to all UK residents and legal residents - but a campaign is aiming to stop them going ahead