Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to announce sweeping changes to immigration rules today, making it harder for people to settle in the UK.
Ms Mahmood will update MPs on long-awaited reforms to indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which allows people to become eligible for permanent settlement. She had proposed doubling the current five-year period to 10 years, rising to 15 years for some lower-paid workers such as care staff.
Potential carve-out for care workers
Speculation is mounting that there could be a carve-out for carers, but it is not clear whether the Home Secretary will abandon controversial plans to apply the rules retrospectively, after public criticism from senior figures like Angela Rayner.
The decision comes after appeals from trade unions and months of internal debate within the Labour party. Ms Mahmood is expected to announce a carve-out for care workers, keeping their waiting period shorter.
Concerns over system capacity
The reforms follow warnings that the system could be overwhelmed when 1.6 million post-pandemic migrants who came to Britain during the previous Tory government become eligible.
Andy Burnham said it was “difficult to say” if legal migration was too high. He told ITV legal migration has “come right down”, saying: “I think when you have planned migration, it’s difficult to say is it too high or too low, because it’s got to be, if you like, following gaps in the economy”.
The PM added: “Because if you just put a number on it, then we may have a shortage in a certain area.”
Final decision in the Commons
The Home Secretary will unveil her reforms to ILR in the Commons shortly, and is set to double the proposed waiting period for most claimants to at least 10 years.
Further updates on the announcement are expected as the statement is delivered to Parliament.
