Mahmood to ban migrants without citizenship from claiming benefits in latest asylum crackdown
Migrants will only be entitled to benefits and social housing if they become British citizens, and those who are in the country illegally will have to wait up to 30 years for long-term residence in the UK under new plans.
Just days after announcing reforms to the asylum system, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced changes to legal immigration rules, telling the House of Commons that settlement in the UK was “not a right, but a privilege”.
But he also addressed “those who believe immigration is part of the story of modern Britain”, telling the House of Commons: “We have to prove that this still works.”
The change will see the government move towards a new “contribution-based model”, which includes mandatory requirements for people applying for “earned” settlement.
These include having a clean criminal record, having paid National Insurance for the last three years, speaking English to A-level and not being in debt to the government.
The default entitlement period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) will also be increased from the current five to ten years, and different groups will be ‘punished’ or ‘rewarded’ with longer or shorter entitlement periods depending on their “contribution”.
The qualification period will be reduced to nine years if a person can speak English up to degree level, and to five years if they pay tax at a higher rate. Immigrants who pay the highest tax rate or have a global talent visa will have to wait three years (shorter than now) to qualify.
Those working in certain levels of public service, such as doctors and teachers, will become eligible within five years, while those who volunteer will have their eligibility period shortened by three to five years.
On the other hand, those who request assistance for less than 12 months will face a 5-year penalty, and those who request assistance for more than 12 months will face a 10-year penalty.
If someone arrived illegally, they could face a sentence of up to 20 years; This means it could be 30 years after arrival before you become eligible to apply for ILR.
The so-called Boris Wave group will have a default qualifying period for ILR of 15 years. This means that if someone in this group had claimed benefits for more than 12 months, the longest they could wait would be 25 years.
Current forecasts show 1.6 million people will settle in the UK between 2026 and 2030, reaching 450,000 in 2028, Ms Mahmood told the House of Commons.
Ms Mahmood said: “Immigration will always be a vital part of Britain’s story. But in recent years the scale of arrivals has been unprecedented.”
“To settle in this country forever is not a right but a privilege, and this must be earned.
“I am replacing the broken immigration system with one that prioritizes contribution, integration and respect for Britain’s sense of fair play.”
He also reiterated that changes to indefinite leave to remain will not affect those with settled status; This marks a break with Reform UK’s commitment to retroactively remove people from indefinite leave to remain.
Ms Mahmood said: “We are proposing that these changes apply to anyone who has not been granted indefinite leave to remain in the country today, but we are seeking views on whether some transitional arrangements are available.
“But let me state this clearly: 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.”
He added: “For those who believe immigration is part of the story of modern Britain and should always remain so, we need to prove that it can still work.
“Let those who come here contribute, do their part, and enrich our national life. They become part of the largest multi-ethnic, multi-religious democracy in the world, while each always retains something of who they are and where they come from.”
