UK bars citizenship for migrants arriving by boat, crossing Channel

Britain will deny citizenship to migrants who enter the country illegally by small boats or concealed in vehicles, according to new Home Office guidance.

The revised “Good Character” guidance, effective from 10 February, states that individuals who have made “dangerous journeys” to enter Britain will normally be refused citizenship, regardless of when they arrived.

The policy specifically targets those arriving by small boats across the English Channel or hidden in vehicles, but excludes passengers arriving on commercial flights.

This marks a departure from previous rules, which required refugees arriving through irregular routes to wait 10 years before becoming eligible for citizenship.

The announcement comes as official figures show small boat arrivals have increased by 28 percent since July 2024, with nearly 25,000 people crossing the Channel between 4 July 2024 and 6 February 2025, marking the second-highest figure since record-keeping began in 2018.

The policy has drawn criticism from opposition MPs and refugee advocacy groups. Labour MP Stella Creasy called for urgent revision of the guidance, arguing on social media platform X that refusing citizenship to recognised refugees creates a “second class” of residents.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said the change “flies in the face of reason” and urged ministers to reconsider.

A Home Office spokesperson defended the move, stating: “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.”

The announcement follows Monday’s successful second reading of the Border, Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which officially abandoned the previous government’s Rwanda deportation scheme and introduced enhanced powers against people smugglers.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had previously signalled her intention to strengthen citizenship requirements for new immigrants seeking permanent settlement in Britain.