UK Energy Secretary Criticizes Government's Stricter Migrant Status Rules
Miatta Fahnbulleh voices concern over proposals to extend waiting times for permanent residency, joining other party members in challenging the Home Office's plan.
New divisions have surfaced within the Labour government over proposed changes that would significantly extend the waiting period for over a million migrants seeking permanent residency in Britain. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has publicly criticized the Home Office's plans, which aim to make immigrants wait years longer for 'settled' status, also known as indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
Fahnbulleh's critique follows similar sentiments expressed by Communities Secretary Angela Rayner in March, who described the proposals as 'un-British' and a 'breach of trust.' In a now-deleted article on her constituency website, Fahnbulleh argued that prolonging the settlement process hinders community cohesion. She advocated for a more compassionate approach to immigration, stating, "We need to raise the level of the debate, challenge divisive political rhetoric and make the case for communities like the one we have in Peckham. That means talking about immigration with care, control and compassion."
The Home Office, led by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, proposed the stricter rules last autumn. The rationale provided was to prevent a potential "£10 billion drain on our public finances" by limiting migrants' access to benefits and social housing after obtaining permanent status. Under the proposed changes, the baseline qualification period for ILR would double to ten years. This period could be extended further for low-skilled foreign workers or individuals who have claimed benefits during their stay.
The Daily Mail reported that over 200,000 migrants have been granted ILR since the plans were first outlined in November, while they remain in limbo. Home Office estimates suggest that between 1.6 million and 2.2 million migrants are expected to qualify for settlement between this year and 2030. This figure includes a substantial number, over 450,000, who arrived on 'health and care worker' visas, a route reportedly subject to abuse.
Fahnbulleh also commented on the broader political climate surrounding immigration, describing it as "increasingly depressing and toxic." She urged her party to "challenge divisive political rhetoric" and called for an immigration system focused on "control and compassion, with a much stronger focus on integration."
Andrea Egan, the general secretary of the Labour-affiliated trade union Unison, has also voiced opposition to the proposals. In response to these internal criticisms, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp of the Conservative party stated that Labour's cabinet members are "openly campaigning against their own Government's supposed immigration policy." He further criticized the delay in implementing the policy, noting that 200,000 immigrants have been granted permanent status and access to benefits during this period.
"The Home Secretary herself has admitted that this will ultimately cost taxpayers £10bn and be an ‘affront’ – in her words – to decent hard-working people," Philp said. He asserted that permanent residency should require a ten-year wait and be limited to high earners, with low-wage or no-wage migrants expected to leave when their visas expire.
A Home Office spokesman confirmed that reforms have been announced to ensure settlement is "earned and not automatic," and that responses to the consultation on these reforms are currently under consideration.