UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to tighten settlement rules for legal migrants
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Shabana Mahmood is due to set out a final plan to extend the residency qualifying period for many migrants, as pressure mounts to protect public services, public finances and fairness for taxpayers.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to announce a final decision on changes to the United Kingdom's settlement rules for legal migrants. The proposal would lengthen the required residence period for indefinite leave to remain from five years to ten years, with a longer 15-year period for some lower-paid workers.
The plan has drawn criticism from Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who said it would "change the goalposts" for migrants already in the country. Labour MPs have also expressed concern that the retrospective approach could worsen skill shortages, particularly in the social care sector.
Mahmood argues the reforms are needed to protect public finances, noting that net migration added 2.6 million people to the UK population between 2021 and 2024 and that around 1.6 million people could settle between 2026 and 2030 under current rules. The Home Office estimates that 196,000 care workers and their adult dependants could settle in that period, with an estimated lifetime cost of £9.5 billion to taxpayers.
"Settlement is a right to be earned, not just granted automatically," Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in an interview, adding that migration levels must match economic needs.
"I very much hope that those who are genuinely working in health and social care for five years are exempt from that retrospective extension," former Home Office Minister Mike Tapp told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that skilled workers and their dependants who settle under current rules could contribute roughly £115 billion in net lifetime taxes. University of Oxford Migration Observatory researcher Dr. Ben Brindle said the policy is likely to have limited effect on migration decisions, describing immigration policy as more of a barrier than an incentive.
The consultation on the proposals attracted more than 200,000 responses. The government is expected to clarify whether any exemptions will be made for care workers already employed in the sector.