Benefits to be restricted to British citizens ONLY as shock figures emerge | Politics | News

Under new plans, immigrants could be prevented from receiving benefits unless they are British citizens.

Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood condemned the migration crisis that Britain has been experiencing for the last five years and announced that she may restrict state aid.

On Thursday, Ms Mahmood confirmed that migrants living on benefits must wait 20 to 30 years before they can receive permission to remain indefinitely.

And foreign nationals arriving in the so-called ‘Boris Wave’ face a 10 to 15-year wait for settlement rights, particularly due to fears about an influx of low-skilled workers due to abused health and social care visas earlier this decade.

The new rules will apply to around 2.6 million people arriving after 2021 but will not affect those who already have settled status.

According to Labour’s new proposals, foreign nationals applying for indefinite leave to remain must have no criminal record, speak A-level English and have no debts.

Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood told MPs: “The government is proposing that those who have received benefits for less than 12 months should not be eligible for settlement until 15 years after their arrival. For those who have claimed benefits for more than 12 months, this will increase to 20 years.

“To encourage the use of legal means to this country, settlement of those arriving illegally may take up to 30 years, while as previously stated, underprotected refugees will be eligible for settlement after 20 years.

“Those who switch to a work and education visa may have the right to settle earlier, and those who come through a safe and legal route may have the right to settle within 10 years.”

The consultation also said it “suggested that benefits may not be available to those with settled status, but should instead be reserved for those who have acquired British citizenship”.

According to Labour’s new proposals, immigrants who pay national insurance contributions will be paid after 10 years.

However, before this, taxpayers with higher and additional rates will be able to obtain permission to stay indefinitely.

Under the current system, settlement in the UK is usually granted after five years, with a few conditions.

The Home Secretary said the proposed changes would not apply to those who have already been granted settled status.

Ms Mahmood said a staggering one in 30 people who have come to “this country” since 2021 have arrived.

He added: “This is the result of the extraordinary open border experiment carried out by the last Conservative government.

“During that period (sometimes called the Boriswave) immigration controls were largely removed, most notably in the case of health and care visas where minimum wage requirements were removed.

“We propose that these changes apply today to everyone who has not yet received permission to remain in the country indefinitely.

“We will not change the rules for those with settled status today. These are people who have been in our country for years, even decades. They have families here, their wives, husbands, children.

“They have been working in our hospitals, teaching in our schools and contributing to our society for years. Justice is the most fundamental of British values. We made a promise when we gave them the settlement permit and we will not break our promise.”

Ms Mahmood said current forecasts showed 1.6 million people would settle in the UK between 2026 and 2030, reaching 450,000 in 2028.

“To settle in this country forever is a privilege, not a right, and must be earned. This is not the case today. After five years of residence in this country, permission to settle or stay indefinitely comes almost automatically.”

However, the Home Secretary has suggested that more conditions be imposed on settlement rights.

He told the House of Commons: Firstly, the applicant must have a clean criminal record. Secondly, they must speak English at A level. Thirdly, they must have continuously paid national insurance contributions. And finally, they should not have debts to this country.

“While these criteria set the bar that everyone must meet, there are a number of other tests published for consultation today and these are either added to or subtracted from the 10-year qualification period.

“To recognize their special value to society, the government is proposing that those who speak English to degree level standard could qualify for a nine-year settlement pathway. Those who pay the higher tax rate could qualify in five years, while those with the highest rate could qualify after three years, the same as global talent visa recipients.”

“Those who work in a public service, including doctors, teachers, nurses, will be eligible after five years, while those who volunteer, subject to this consultation, can be eligible after five to seven years.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said he supported many of Shabana Mahmood’s statements but described it as “familiar”.

He said: “The idea of ​​a 10-year route (indefinite leave to remain) was something we proposed in amendments to the Government Bill about nine months ago, I think.

“Labour inexplicably voted against these measures and have now embraced them.

“I am delighted to see the Home Secretary has taken out the copy and paste function on his laptop and started copying and pasting Conservative policies.”

He also warned that transitional arrangements could create loopholes and repeated his call for a cap on migration numbers.

Mr Philp added: “The days of mass low-skilled immigration must end. Britain cannot continue to put pressure on housing, schools and the NHS and expect working people to bear the cost. “We are pleased that Labor has embraced our settlement reforms, which we announced months ago, to ensure that only those who truly contribute to this country can stay here permanently.

“Under the Conservative Party’s plans, anyone who comes here to work but does not will have to leave when their visas expire. Only genuine contributors can stay permanently and no non-British national should expect to receive benefits funded by British taxpayers.

“That’s why we will impose a binding annual limit on immigration, which Labor refuses to support. And while we leave the ECHR and eliminate all illegal immigrants, Labor aims to create a pathway to citizenship for people who came here illegally. Only the Conservatives can impose strong limits.”

Ms Mahmood said the Conservatives should apologize for “breaking the system so badly” and said they “didn’t even have the right to ask questions, let alone offer solutions”.