LONDON: Britain’s Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood announced on Monday that the government plans to significantly tighten the rules governing how migrants can settle permanently, making applicants prove their value to society, including demonstrating a “high standard” of English proficiency.
This policy shift represents the latest effort by the ruling Labour Party to counter the rising influence of the populist Reform UK party, whose anti-immigration agenda has dominated public discourse and pressured Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to adopt a more hardline approach.
New Standards for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’
Most migrants are currently eligible to apply for “Indefinite Leave to Remain” (ILR)—a status granting the right to live permanently in the country—after five years of continuous residence.
In her inaugural speech as Interior Minister at the Labour Party conference, Mahmood outlined forthcoming changes that will ensure people only qualify for ILR if they meet a new set of conditions:
They must be paying social security contributions.
They must maintain a clean criminal record.
They must not be claiming benefits.
They must be able to speak English to a high standard.
They must have a record of volunteering in their local communities.
“Time spent in this country alone is not enough,” Mahmood stated emphatically. “You must earn the right to live in this country.”
These proposals, which will enter a public consultation phase later this year, build on the government’s earlier decision to extend the standard ILR qualifying period to a baseline of 10 years. Mahmood warned that under the new rules, some residents who have lived in Britain for over a decade could still be denied permanent status if they fail to meet the new standards.
Political Pressure and the Need for Control
The anti-immigration Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage and currently polling strongly, last week floated the idea of scrapping ILR entirely and replacing it with a five-year renewable work visa. Starmer recently accused Reform of planning a “racist policy” of mass deportations, though he quickly clarified he did not believe Reform supporters were racist.
The new requirements are already drawing criticism from legal experts who suggest they may discourage desirable immigration, noting that the requirement for mandatory volunteering would be difficult to assess and standardize.
Defending her tough approach, Mahmood told the conference that she was willing to be unpopular to stop the arrival of tens of thousands of people on small boats from Europe. “We will have to question some of the assumptions and legal constraints that have lasted for a generation and more,” she asserted. “Without control, we simply do not have the conditions in which our country can be open, tolerant and generous.”
Immigration remains one of the most critical issues for British voters. Controlling arrivals was a key factor in the 2016 vote to leave the European Union, yet paradoxically, net arrivals soared to record levels after Britain exited the bloc.
