The UK has announced a new legal route for refugees that prioritises Afghan women and girls and Palestinians, restoring a previous scheme that puts the most vulnerable refugees on a fast track to permanent status.

The change marks a shift in the UK Labour government’s approach to asylum seekers after the abrupt closure of the Afghan resettlement scheme last year; as well as  rule changes that mean a person’s refugee status remains under review for twenty years.

The UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the changes show there is fairness in the immigration system to support the most vulnerable refugees and that a balanced system will “unlock the inherent generosity of this country”.

However, immigration experts and refugee charities have said the numbers who will be eligible are too small to deter asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Ms Mahmood said that a tougher migration system, combined with a new scheme for the most vulnerable, will be the best way to ensure there is still broad consensus for helping refugees.

“Fairness is what unites us in this country. A fair society is what unlocks the very best of us. Because when people think this country is fair, they are more open and generous to others. When this country feels unfair, people turn inwards. They grow less willing to tolerate difference,” she said.

“I know the British people have not given up on their belief that we should be compassionate, live up to our international obligations, and save the lives of those fleeing war and persecution. But I also know this process must be capped and controlled, and communities must be ready and able to welcome those who come here.

“This is what we can do and who we can be as we restore control to our borders, bear down on the small boat crossings, and unlock the inherent generosity of this country.”

The Home Office said that it expected about one in four arrivals to be Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees, though numbers will initially be small and capped each year.

Under the scheme, potential refugees will undergo security and criminality checks.

Those who arrive under the scheme will have a smoother route to permanent settlement and will be granted indefinite leave to remain, which will give them a five-year path and no conditions of constant review.

Refugees will be identified by the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP).

Family units will be able to come together under the scheme, though not extended families because of a crackdown on family reunification introduced earlier by the government.