Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is reportedly set to substantially scale back her proposed immigration reforms, facing significant opposition from within the Labour Party's left wing. The plans, which would have extended the waiting period for 'settled' status for low-skilled foreign migrants, are expected to be revised following strong objections.
Mahmood had previously warned that diluting the proposals could cost taxpayers £10 billion and place further strain on public services like housing and healthcare, calling such a move 'an affront to the idea of fairness within our society.' The full extent of the revised plans is anticipated to be revealed in a statement to the Commons.
The proposals sparked considerable internal debate. Angela Rayner, now a Cabinet member, had previously criticized the plans as 'un-British' when she was a backbencher. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has also voiced opposition.
Under current rules, most migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), or 'settled' status, after five years in the UK. Mahmood's original proposals would have increased this baseline to ten years, with extended periods of 15 or 20 years for those who had claimed welfare benefits for up to a year or more than a year, respectively. Individuals who entered the UK illegally could have faced a wait of up to 25 years.
The original plan aimed to manage the settlement of an estimated 1.3 to 2.2 million foreign nationals due to qualify for ILR between the current year and 2030, including many who arrived on the widely reported abused foreign care worker visa. Mahmood's proposals would have offered shorter qualification periods for essential public sector workers like doctors and nurses, and for those contributing higher tax amounts.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner recently indicated that the updated plan would be 'fair' to foreign workers already in the country, acknowledging their contributions to public services. Conversely, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the expected shift, stating it signals a capitulation to the 'open-borders Labour Left' and would allow 'hundreds of thousands of low-wage and no-wage migrants to stay in the UK forever and claim benefits.' Philp asserted that the Conservative approach involves a ten-year route to ILR exclusively for high-wage workers.