Mahmood Unveils Earned Settlement Plan for Migrants to Britain

GRAND RAPIDS, MI. - Shabana Mahmood, the British Secretary of State for the Home Department, set out sweeping changes to how migrants can settle in Britain on Monday, replacing automatic settlement after five years with an "earned settlement" system.

Mahmood told the House of Commons that settlement should not be automatic. She said it should be earned, after meeting responsibilities and making contributions.

Under the plan, 10 years becomes the standard route to indefinite leave to remain, up from five years. Mahmood had originally proposed waits of up to 15 years for some lower-paid workers, including care workers.

In a major concession, most migrant care workers who arrived during the pandemic will be allowed to settle before 2030. About 300,000 care workers and their dependents are exempted from the longer wait, provided they earn at least £25,000 and have met all the terms of their visas.

A further 100,000 care workers who do not meet those requirements will not be granted settlement after five years. They will be able to apply for a new care visa lasting an additional five years, after which they can apply to settle.

Some small boat migrants will need to wait up to 30 years before they may be granted indefinite leave to remain. An estimated 500,000 people will no longer receive indefinite leave to remain after five years, while 1.4 million immigrants who came after 2021 will still be able to settle after that period.

The changes follow a sharp fall in net migration in Britain, which almost halved to 171,000 from 331,000 a year earlier. The government has said the reforms balance demands for lower immigration with the need for workers Britain still needs.