Temporising refugee protection: mental health and human rights consequences of UK asylum and immigration policy changes

This editorial examines the mental health implications of legislative and policy changes introduced by the UK Labour government following the Immigration White Paper 20251 and the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025.2 Writing in this journal, Arnell3 concluded that despite the change of government, the legislation continued the enforcement-led approach of its predecessors, prioritising prevention, deterrence and punishment over human rights protection. The risks are considerable: restricting rights, deepening precarity, and harming the mental health of people seeking asylum and those granted refugee status in the UK. Building on documented evidence of broader health harms,4,5 this editorial focuses specifically on the mental health implications of these changes, the compounded risks for those already living with mental illness, and the human rights framework within which clinical practice must be understood. This has training and professional implications for clinicians, not least in ensuring their understanding of the ethical responsibilities and the challenges inherent in working with people whose lives are directly shaped by the policies we describe.