UK to unveil migrant settlement overhaul after months of debate

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood will present reforms on Monday to adjust how migrants can settle in Britain, aiming to address voter demands for reduced immigration while maintaining a workforce needed by businesses. The reforms come after a surge in arrivals following the UK's exit from the European Union, resulting in an influx of healthcare workers and students worldwide.

Current rules permit most migrants to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years in Britain, granting them access to certain welfare benefits. Mahmood's proposal involves replacing this with an "earned settlement" system, where the standard route to permanent residency is set at ten years. Lower-paid workers, such as care workers, would face a waiting period of up to fifteen years before becoming eligible.

Chris McDonald, a junior business minister, highlighted that immigration levels have become unsustainable under the previous Conservative-led government. He emphasized the need to balance controlling borders with investing in the country's young people to provide jobs domestically, reducing the necessity for importing workers.

The government claims these changes are essential due to approximately 350,000 lower-skilled workers and their dependents who are expected to become eligible for settlement in the coming years following Brexit. Net migration in Britain plummeted last year, falling almost in half to 171,000 from 331,000 the previous year, continuing a steep decline from a record 944,000 in 2023.

Andy Burnham, the shadow chancellor and leader of the opposition Labour Party, has backed the principle that settlement should be earned rather than automatically granted. However, the current prime minister has also praised foreign care workers, given his late father received assistance in a care home. Care home owners, unions, and some Labour lawmakers have expressed concerns that international workers might be discouraged from moving to Britain, potentially harming the care system.

Reports suggest Mahmood might soften some aspects of the original proposals, potentially exempting care workers currently in Britain or granting them expedited routes to settlement. A parliamentary committee reported last year that the government lacked a comprehensive understanding of how skilled worker visas impacted various sectors of the economy.