Nigel Farage has set out Reform UK’s tough new immigration plans, promising to close what he calls migrant “loopholes” and ban access to benefits for anyone who is not a UK citizen. The party leader is pushing for a dramatic shake-up of the system that currently allows migrants to apply for permanent residency, known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, after five years in the country.
Under the proposed plan, migrants would no longer be able to settle permanently in the UK. Instead, they would need to renew their visa every five years while meeting stricter requirements. These include higher salary thresholds and a stronger level of English. The waiting time to qualify for residency would also rise from five years to seven.
Reform UK’s policy chief Zia Yusuf said the party would go even further by abolishing Indefinite Leave to Remain altogether, even for those who already have it. He explained that this change would prevent migrants from accessing welfare, social housing, or other benefits, which would be reserved only for UK citizens. Yusuf argued this would save taxpayers more than £230 billion.
The new rules would also bring tighter restrictions on family reunions. Migrants would face more obstacles in bringing spouses and children to the UK. According to Reform UK, this move is designed to ensure the system focuses on British workers and reduces dependency on foreign labour.
Yusuf linked the proposed changes to what he described as the “Boriswave” — the large number of migrants who entered the UK under post-Brexit policies created by Boris Johnson’s government. He warned that many from this group will soon qualify for permanent residency, which he claims would be unsustainable for the UK economy.
Nigel Farage is expected to make the plans public at a press conference, where he will argue that welfare should be for UK citizens only. He will accuse the Johnson government of betraying voters by allowing too many migrants to settle permanently, which he says risks bankrupting the country. Farage has promised that Reform UK will fix what he calls “the mess of Boris Johnson.”
The plan would mean hundreds of thousands of migrants could lose their current status in the UK, with Reform UK promising this would happen gradually so businesses could train British workers to take over jobs. The party argues this would reduce pressure on public services and housing.
However, the government has pushed back on Reform UK’s claims. A spokesperson said that people in the country illegally already do not receive benefits, and foreign nationals usually need to wait five years before they can claim universal credit. The spokesperson added that ministers are considering increasing this to ten years, as part of wider efforts to cut the welfare bill.
The debate over benefits and migration continues to divide opinion. Supporters of Farage’s plan see it as a necessary step to protect taxpayers and prioritise British workers. Critics, however, warn that scrapping permanent residency could cause instability for thousands of families and damage the UK’s international reputation.