The Scottish government has expressed its "deep concern" around planned reforms to the asylum system outlined by the home secretary.
Among the proposed changes are that the majority of asylum seekers would have to wait 20 years before being able to apply to settle in the UK permanently, and that deportations will be fast-tracked where claims are rejected.
Asylum seekers would also have their refugee status reviewed every two-and-a-half years - twice as often as at present - and would be deported if their home country is deemed safe at any time.
But while home secretary Shabana Mahmood says the reforms aim to "unite what is today a divided country", Scotland's Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said she was "deeply concerned" the changes were not "humane".
She said, the BBC reports: "Successive UK governments have failed to deliver an asylum system which treats those fleeing persecution with dignity and respect.
"The UK government has an international duty and legal obligation to protect those fleeing violence and persecution around the world. It is therefore troubling that the UK government is now looking to limit refugee human rights."
The Times reports that more than two dozen MPs voiced public criticism of the reforms, including senior moderate figures such as Sarah Owen, chair of the women and equalities committee, who branded the proposals “repugnant”.
Another measure included in the planned reforms is power to seize valuable assets from illegal migrants to pay towards the cost of housing them.