Britain is preparing to tighten the rules for migrants seeking permanent residency. Interior minister Shabana Mahmood will use her Labour Party conference speech to outline plans that could make it harder for people to qualify for indefinite leave to remain. The government wants applicants to prove their value to society before being allowed to stay permanently.
Mahmood will say the government is considering new conditions, including paying social security contributions, having a clean criminal record, and not claiming benefits. Migrants may also need to show a strong level of English and provide evidence of community service, such as volunteering. These proposals are aimed at addressing growing public concern about immigration.
Currently, most migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years of living in Britain. This status allows them to live in the country permanently. But with Reform UK leading the debate on immigration, Labour is under pressure to adopt tougher policies. Mahmood is expected to launch a consultation on the proposals later this year.
The move comes as Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, pushes for even stricter measures. The party has suggested scrapping indefinite leave to remain entirely and replacing it with five-year renewable visas. Farage argues that permanent residency should not be automatic and that Britain must control its borders more effectively.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly rejected Farage’s ideas, calling them a “racist policy” that would cause mass deportations and divide communities. He said such plans would “tear this country apart” and punish people who are already legally settled in Britain. Despite this, Labour’s tougher stance shows how much pressure Reform UK’s rising popularity has created.
Immigration remains a major issue for British voters. Controlling arrivals was one of the key reasons behind the 2016 vote to leave the European Union. However, since Brexit, net arrivals have reached record levels, adding to public frustration. The government hopes that stricter rules for migrants seeking permanent residency will calm voter concerns and protect Labour’s support base.
For now, the proposals are still under review, but the debate is heating up. With Reform UK gaining ground and immigration dominating headlines, the question remains: how far will Labour go to tighten the rules for migrants seeking permanent residency?