Documents released by the Government show that fewer than one in five people consulted on Labour's plans to reform indefinite leave to remain (ILR) were British citizens, with 73% of those asked for their views being current visa holders.
The research accompanied the announcement by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has faced accusations of a U-turn over changes to the system under which certain workers can get ILR after just five years. Earlier this year, Mahmood had suggested she wanted the period before qualifying for ILR to be 15 years.
Consultation Breakdown
According to the accompanying research, 73% of those consulted on how the UK visa system should be changed were current visa holders. A further 5% had ILR or EU settled status, with 3% on refugee or humanitarian protection. Another 1% were awaiting a decision or applying, and a further 1% were asylum seekers. Just 18% were British citizens.
The revelations come after Mahmood was accused of caving to the Labour Left by dramatically watering down her migrant settlement crackdown following a backlash.
Key Policy Changes
The Home Secretary confirmed that care workers will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years – 10 years sooner than under her original proposals – if they have earned £25,000 per year in the sector. Those who miss out on the scheme will be offered a second chance to contribute through a new five-year visa.
About 300,000 people are expected to benefit from the U-turn. Some 1.9 million foreign nationals are set to be granted indefinite leave to remain by 2030 – an increase of 300,000 compared with the estimate from November last year. Only 500,000 of them face a longer wait.
In a second major climbdown, the Home Office confirmed it is letting lower-skilled, lower-paid migrant workers apply for settlement rights after 10 years, rather than the 15 years originally proposed. Mahmood has also seemingly abandoned plans to restrict benefits to British citizens.
Reaction and Impact
Refugees who arrived on a safe and legal route will be put on the same settlement path as migrants earning more than £50,000, under revised Home Office plans. Small-boat migrants face a 30-year wait, which falls to 20 years if they study or work.
Reform's Zia Yusuf said: "Shabana Mahmood has completely betrayed the country by abandoning reforms to ILR, as has Andy Burnham, who promised the people of Makerfield that he backed reforms to ILR. Her weakness is all because Andy Burnham is too weak to stand up to the mad far-Left Labour MPs. It is a fiscal catastrophe in waiting, allowing Boris wave lifetime access to our welfare, adding hundreds of billions to our national debt. Once again, the British people are picking up the tab for years of Tory open borders."
