Legal migrants who arrived in UK from 2021 face long wait for settled status under tough new proposals

Two million legal migrants who arrived in the UK from 2021 must have stayed in the country for at least 10 years to be considered for settled status, under new proposals put forward by the home secretary.

Earlier this year, the government announced it would double the qualifying period for migrants hoping to be granted permanent settlement from five years to 10 years, with reductions available for those who make a "strong contribution" to British life.

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Shabana Mahmood has announced that the two million people who arrived in the UK from 2021 - under what Labour has dubbed the "Boris wave" - will now have to wait 10 years for permanent settlement.

Setting out her plans in the Commons, Ms Mahmood said settling in the UK was "not a right, but a privilege, and it must be earned".

But she said that was "not the case today", with permanent settlement - also known as indefinite leave to remain - granted "almost automatically after five years in the country", granting migrants access to benefits.

She explained that 1.6 million are forecast to achieve settled status between 2026 and 2030, and "that will now change".

Other proposals being put forward by Ms Mahmood include:

• New rules that mean migrants can only become eligible for benefits and social housing if they are granted British citizenship, rather than settled status

• Low-paid workers, such as the 616,000 people and their dependents who came on health and social care visas between 2022 and 2024, will have to wait 15 years before they can be granted permanent settlement.

• Changing rules so that those reliant on benefits face a 20-year wait for settlement - quadruple the current period and the longest in Europe

Giving a statement in the House of Commons, Ms Mahmood expressed fears "Greater Britain" was in danger of "giving way to Littler England" and current divisions could lead to danger for migrants and their families, including hers.

She said while some would "choose to scorn this analysis", "those who look like me do not have that luxury - our lives, and those of our families, are more dangerous in a country that turns inwards".

Ms Mahmood added: "So we have no choice but to ask, what is the cause of our division, and how might this country be united?"

The home secretary sought to stress her changes would not apply to those who already had settled status.

She said those who were applying for indefinite leave to remain must have no criminal record, speak English to A-level standards and have no debt.

And she said the government was also proposing that those who speak English to a degree-level standard could qualify for a nine-year path to settlement.

Those paying the higher rate of tax could qualify at five years, and those on the top rate could qualify after three, the same as those on global talent visas.

Meanwhile, those who work in a public service, including doctors, teachers, and nurses, would qualify after five years, while those who volunteer could qualify at between five and seven years.

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However, Ms Mahmood did say she would consult on whether asylum seekers who claim benefits should not qualify for settlement until 15 years after their arrival.

She told the Commons: "These are subject to consultation, but the government proposes that those who have received benefits for less than 12 months would not qualify for settlement until 15 years after arrival.

"For those who have claimed benefits for more than 12 months, that would rise to 20 years."

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "She's [Mahmood] had a busy week. I wonder if this burst of hyperactivity has anything to do with her leadership bid."

He continued: "Immigration under successive governments has been far, far too high, and points to the fact 10,000 people have crossed the Channel illegally since she took office.

"I am delighted to see that the home secretary...has got out the copy and paste function on her laptop and started copying and pasting Conservative policies."

The latest proposals come just days after Ms Mahmood, who was previously justice secretary, announced a raft of measures designed to deter illegal immigration and small boat crossings in the Channel.

On Monday, she said families with children would be removed - either voluntarily through cash incentives of up to £3,000, or by force and that refugee status would become temporary and subject to review every two and a half years, below the five years currently offered.

(c) Sky News 2025: Legal migrants who arrived in UK from 2021 face long wait for settled status under toug