Cabinet minister Miatta Fahnbulleh has repeatedly refused to say she backs Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's plans to extend the time before foreign workers can claim permanent residence in the UK.
The Energy Secretary said reform of the immigration system was needed, and that it should be based on the principle of compassion and recognising contribution. However, she avoided explicitly expressing support for the proposal to lengthen the qualifying period for settlement to 15 years.
Cabinet tensions over immigration policy
Speculation has mounted that proposals to increase the five-year wait for claiming indefinite leave to remain by up to 10 years for foreign care workers could be watered down to avoid a Labour rebellion after criticism from senior MPs.
Tensions in the Cabinet over the policy surfaced when Housing Secretary Angela Rayner earlier this year publicly attacked the prospect of backdating the plans. News also emerged this week that Ms Fahnbulleh hit out at any attempt to prolong the time people have to wait for settlement in a later-deleted online post.
Fahnbulleh's stance on reform
Challenged over her stance on Wednesday, the Energy Secretary declined to say she was behind the plan to increase to 15 years the time foreign workers would have to live in Britain before they could be granted settled status.
Asked repeatedly about that specific part of the policy, Ms Fahnbulleh told Sky News: "We have got to reform our immigration system, and my view is that we need a system that is based on the principle of compassion, contribution." She added that the Home Secretary has been consulting on the reforms and will come out with the measures they take forward.
She said: "No-one can look at our immigration system – and I say this as someone that came to this country as a refugee – and not believe that it's broken and not believe that we need to fundamentally reform it."
Ms Fahnbulleh also said she supports reforms that require people to contribute to this country in order to get citizenship, and stated: "I 100% back Shabana Mahmood and everything she is trying to do." However, she evaded multiple questions on the prospect of a 15-year wait, and when it was put to her that she did not back that specific proposal, she said: "Don't … put words in my mouth."
Government response and next steps
A Government source pointed out that "the minister clearly supported the policy and process" in her interviews, "but while subject to review of the consultation, the final policy is not set – so ministers cannot offer opinions on specific parts of it".
Ms Rayner on Tuesday sought to downplay reports of a Cabinet rift over Ms Mahmood's immigration plans, saying she was sure her colleague would "land" on a policy that was fair to both taxpayers and migrants following a consultation.
A Government spokesperson said: "This Government has announced reforms that mean settlement must be earned and not automatic. We are currently considering responses to our consultation on elements of these reforms."
