A dedicated care worker has issued an emotional plea to the government, describing the profound personal distress caused by proposed hardline migration laws that could force her to wait 15 years to settle in the UK.
'A Pain Inside Me I Cannot Hide'
Riffat Fahad, 32, who arrived in Britain as an asylum seeker from Pakistan, has directly appealed to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to reconsider sweeping changes to indefinite leave to remain rules. The current system allows migrants to apply for settled status after five years, but under new proposals outlined on November 20, this would extend dramatically.
"I work long shifts that stretch into exhaustion," Riffat told The Mirror. "I pay my taxes like everyone else. Nothing is handed to me - everything I have, I earn through sweat, patience, and heart. And yet, sometimes I hear people call workers like me a 'burden' - even a 'stranger'."
She described waking before dawn to care for someone else's mother and staying beyond her hours to ensure families can work knowing their father is safe. "I don't want to feel like a temporary guest in the place where I spend my days serving others with everything I have," she said. "I just want stability. Respect. A chance to build a future without waiting decade after decade to be trusted."
Creating a 'Two-Tier System'
The government's proposed settlement model would establish a 15-year baseline for low-paid workers before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain. This particularly affects the 616,000 people and their dependants who came to Britain on health and social care visas between 2022 and 2024.
Louise Calvey, director of Asylum Matters, condemned the proposals, stating: "Riffat's words express how so many people across the country are feeling after this abhorrent migration and asylum policy announcement." She warned that families would live in limbo for years, uncertain if they might be "torn away" from their lives in Britain.
"The Home Secretary said she wanted this scheme to 'unite the country'," Ms Calvey continued. "You can't unite people with division, and that's exactly what this creates: a two-tier system with migrants treated for years or decades as second-class citizens."
Sector Warns of Staff Exodus
Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, voiced strong opposition to the plans, warning they could trigger an exodus of essential care workers. "Thousands of overseas care workers across the country will recognise this shocking story," she said.
"Migrant staff are keeping the care sector from collapse. Employers begged them to come to Britain to do jobs they'd been struggling to fill. The workers were told they could put down roots here. No wonder they feel cheated by the government."
Ms McAnea described plans to triple the settlement wait as "beyond cruel" and urged ministers to reconsider or face losing staff to countries that better appreciate their skills.
The Labour government had previously closed the health and social care visa route earlier this year, citing widespread abuse. In her November Commons statement, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood declared: "To settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege. And it must be earned."
The Home Office forecasts that 1.6 million people will settle in Britain between 2026 and 2030, peaking at 450,000 in 2028. The government has launched a consultation on the new settlement model and encourages health and care workers to participate.
