Ministers are under intense pressure to slash net migration (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer faces a new migration headache after left-wing MPs warned reforming settlement rights could anger Indian, Pakistani, Nigerian and Bangladeshi voters and lead to a ballot box drubbing, the Daily Express can reveal.
A group of politicians warned that proposals to change qualification rules for indefinite leave to remain from five years to 10 years would be “cruel” and “punitive”.
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
Get Quote
Undo
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Chaos as Labour can't say when migrants will be returned to France after flight cancelled
Reform UK's mission critical - policy area Nigel Farage must flesh out to be PM
Labour minister torn apart on GB News over migrant vow: 'Becoming nonsense'
Nigel Farage reveals the one reason he doesn't want Boris Johnson's help to defeat Starmer
Rachel Reeves 'Chancellor in name only' and Keir Starmer 'on the brink'
Reform voters give Keir Starmer a score out of 10 - and it's absolutely brutal
Trump visit to bring '￡7.3bn' UK investment bonanza in major Brexit boost
Keir Starmer's cabinet reshuffle is a disaster and now the writing is on the wall for PM
Labour in panic mode as Keir Starmer fighting for survival - 'He's vulnerable'
Eight in 10 Brits say Keir's Starmer's Government is as sleazy as last Tory one
Reform UK blasts Labour 'lies' over threat to US trade deal
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
Clumsy Keir Starmer thinks he's tough - but he's cackhandedly created a crisis
Two candidates confirmed in Labour race to replace Angela Rayner
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Keir Starmer warned he'll be 'gone in eight months' in revolt from his own MPs
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Sadiq Khan now earns more than Prime Minister after pay rise
Rachel Reeves will torpedo trust if she breaks major tax promise
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Taxpayers spend nearly ￡400bn on 438 quangos, 'explosive' findings show
Calls intensify for net EMIGRATION, heaping pressure on Starmer, Badenoch and Farage
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Chaos as Labour can't say when migrants will be returned to France after flight cancelled
Reform UK's mission critical - policy area Nigel Farage must flesh out to be PM
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Labour minister torn apart on GB News over migrant vow: 'Becoming nonsense'
Nigel Farage reveals the one reason he doesn't want Boris Johnson's help to defeat Starmer
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Rachel Reeves 'Chancellor in name only' and Keir Starmer 'on the brink'
Reform voters give Keir Starmer a score out of 10 - and it's absolutely brutal
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Trump visit to bring '￡7.3bn' UK investment bonanza in major Brexit boost
Keir Starmer's cabinet reshuffle is a disaster and now the writing is on the wall for PM
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Labour in panic mode as Keir Starmer fighting for survival - 'He's vulnerable'
Eight in 10 Brits say Keir's Starmer's Government is as sleazy as last Tory one
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Reform UK blasts Labour 'lies' over threat to US trade deal
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
You Can See People Wearing This 250th Anniversary Hat EverywhereGlosrity |
Learn More
Undo
Clumsy Keir Starmer thinks he's tough - but he's cackhandedly created a crisis
Two candidates confirmed in Labour race to replace Angela Rayner
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Keir Starmer warned he'll be 'gone in eight months' in revolt from his own MPs
Sadiq Khan now earns more than Prime Minister after pay rise
Rachel Reeves will torpedo trust if she breaks major tax promise
Taxpayers spend nearly ￡400bn on 438 quangos, 'explosive' findings show
Calls intensify for net EMIGRATION, heaping pressure on Starmer, Badenoch and Farage
Chaos as Labour can't say when migrants will be returned to France after flight cancelled
Reform UK's mission critical - policy area Nigel Farage must flesh out to be PM
Labour minister torn apart on GB News over migrant vow: 'Becoming nonsense'
Nigel Farage reveals the one reason he doesn't want Boris Johnson's help to defeat Starmer
Rachel Reeves 'Chancellor in name only' and Keir Starmer 'on the brink'
Reform voters give Keir Starmer a score out of 10 - and it's absolutely brutal
Trump visit to bring '￡7.3bn' UK investment bonanza in major Brexit boost
They urged new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to ditch the plans because they could be punished by voters.
And Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who is running to become the next Labour Deputy Leader, told ministers that migrants from Commonwealth countries "and their British national family members and friends will have views on these issues. We should take note of that.”
Powered By
10 Sec
The US President and First Lady arrive in the UK
Next
Stay
Read more: Migrant visa crackdown amid fears wages are being undercut by firms
Read more: Furious immigration row erupts in Sky News debate - 'you are plastic patriots'
Read more: Keir Starmer 'argued' with Israeli President during Downing Street bust up
Get the latest politics news straight to your phone Join us on WhatsAppOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Condemning the interventions, Tory rising star Katie Lam declared: “Labour MPs arguing to keep the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain at just five years show just how out of touch they are with the British people. Voters can see the pressure uncontrolled migration puts on housing, schools and the NHS, but Labour’s answer is to carry on as if nothing’s wrong.
Sponsored
Learn More
Top Doctor: This Knee Pain Relief Device Is "The Future of Joint Health"
Undo
“Extending ILR to ten years and changing its conditions is about restoring fairness and respecting the democratic will of the people, not making the same mistakes our political class has made for decades. The public are crying out for a system that works in the national interest, yet Labour MPs continually choose to side with anyone other than the British taxpayers.”
Research by the Centre for Policy Studies revealed over two million visas were issued to migrants between January 2021 and June 2024.
This has led to warnings that as many as 800,000 could apply for indefinite leave to remain – and get access to benefits, the NHS and social homes – after they have lived in the UK for five years.
The first of this cohort – dubbed the Boris Wave – could apply for indefinite leave to remain from January. Labour has vowed to force migrants to wait 10 years before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain. But those who contribute more to society could earn settlement sooner.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have declared migrants will have to live in the UK for 10 years, earning at least ￡38,700 before they can be given indefinite leave to remain. But Labour MPs are mounting pressure on the Government to ditch the proposed changes.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who is running to become the next Labour Deputy Leader, said: “It would be simply unfair and frankly cruel to apply an extension to the ILR pathway retrospectively, and it would significantly impact those already on the pathway, as well as their families, employers and communities.
“We have to start being frank that the pursuit of net migration targets has undermined our economy and our public services and created a hostile environment in our communities. Changing immigration rules in this way will undo the work that has been done so far to repair our NHS. I urge the Government to reconsider.
“In this country, Commonwealth nationals on any length of visa can register to vote in both local and national elections, and I expect that they and their British national family members and friends will have views on these issues. We should take note of that.”
Shabana Mahmood is under pressure to slash net migration (Image: Getty)
Aspana Begum, who had the whip withdrawn after voting against the child benefit cap, added: “From what we know of the proposed measures in the immigration White Paper, they appear to be punitive.
“Wide-ranging evidence suggests that long pathways are detrimental to individuals and communities.
“No one should be subject to them. Rather than exemptions for some and not for others, we need a thorough overhaul of settlement and citizenship pathways so that people can settle in the UK in a timely and affordable way.
“People need to feel a sense of belonging and to be able to fulfil their potential. I fear that the proposals will undermine the resilience of our communities. Putting more people on extended routes will multiply the effects already being felt in our communities.”
And Labour MP Andy McDonald said: I urge retention of the five-year route to ILR, a commitment not to apply any change retrospectively, and a sector-wide visa scheme in social care that enables migrant workers to challenge bad employers without the threat of dismissal and removal. I am particularly concerned about reports that the Government intend to apply the new policy on settlement retroactively to those already in the UK who applied and continue to reside under old settlement rules.”
Around one in five migrants who come to the UK to work historically get indefinite leave to remain. This rises to 73% on other eligible visa routes, such as the Family Route.
Over the period of Jan 21 to June 2024, 360,473 work visas were issued. This included 156,407 to dependants, according to the Centre for Policy Studies.
Some 647,134 came to the UK on the health and care visa, including 377,135 dependants, the CPS said.
Uxbridge MP Danny Beales added: “I have heard from many constituents who are deeply concerned about what these proposals—the extension of the indefinite leave to remain to 10 years and, in particular, the retrospective nature of the application—might mean for them.
“Many who came to this country in good faith under the current system have planned their lives on the assumption that it will be in force.
“Many skilled people from right across the world have the choice of where to come and be a nurse or start a business and contribute.
“I am concerned that applying the 10-year qualifying period retrospectively to people who already live in the UK, and who made the decision to do so a long time ago, would not be fair and would be deeply disruptive to their lives.
“I am also not convinced that the proposals, with their retrospective nature, would have any effect on our current migration levels.”
And Labour MP Toby Perkins, a former member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “It is important to recognise that many people now have real uncertainty.
“We are in a competitive environment for many of these skilled migrants.
“There are many other countries that would like to attract them, and if we start pushing them away and making them believe that their commitment to this country will not be honoured, we risk losing people who are crucial to our public services and economy.
“We should consider that very seriously indeed.”
New Home Office minister Alex Norris told MPs: “We need proper support for integration and for people to seek a better life, but there have to be clear rules about contributing to the UK.
“Where the pace of migration is too fast or integration is too weak, it is harder to maintain confidence, community bonds and relationships.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Chaos as Labour can't say when migrants will be returned to France after flight cancelled
Reform UK's mission critical - policy area Nigel Farage must flesh out to be PM
Labour minister torn apart on GB News over migrant vow: 'Becoming nonsense'
Nigel Farage reveals the one reason he doesn't want Boris Johnson's help to defeat Starmer
Rachel Reeves 'Chancellor in name only' and Keir Starmer 'on the brink'
Reform voters give Keir Starmer a score out of 10 - and it's absolutely brutal
Trump visit to bring '￡7.3bn' UK investment bonanza in major Brexit boost
Keir Starmer's cabinet reshuffle is a disaster and now the writing is on the wall for PM
Labour in panic mode as Keir Starmer fighting for survival - 'He's vulnerable'
Eight in 10 Brits say Keir's Starmer's Government is as sleazy as last Tory one
Reform UK blasts Labour 'lies' over threat to US trade deal
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
Clumsy Keir Starmer thinks he's tough - but he's cackhandedly created a crisis
Two candidates confirmed in Labour race to replace Angela Rayner
MD: Building Muscle After 60 Comes Down To This 1 Thingprimenutritionsecrets |
Undo
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Keir Starmer warned he'll be 'gone in eight months' in revolt from his own MPs
Here's What a Dental Implant Might Cost You in 2025 (See Price List)Dental Implants | Search Ads |
Read More
Undo
Sadiq Khan now earns more than Prime Minister after pay rise
Rachel Reeves will torpedo trust if she breaks major tax promise
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Taxpayers spend nearly ￡400bn on 438 quangos, 'explosive' findings show
Calls intensify for net EMIGRATION, heaping pressure on Starmer, Badenoch and Farage
Finally Legal: it's Like a 'Vaccine for Joint and Chronic PainHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Chaos as Labour can't say when migrants will be returned to France after flight cancelled
Reform UK's mission critical - policy area Nigel Farage must flesh out to be PM
Here’s The Gutter Guard Price On A 2,000 Sq Ft HomeHomebuddy |
Get Quote
Undo
Labour minister torn apart on GB News over migrant vow: 'Becoming nonsense'
Nigel Farage reveals the one reason he doesn't want Boris Johnson's help to defeat Starmer
Here’s What a 12-Hour Gutter System Will Cost YouHomebuddy |
Get Quote
Undo
Rachel Reeves 'Chancellor in name only' and Keir Starmer 'on the brink'
Reform voters give Keir Starmer a score out of 10 - and it's absolutely brutal
Three San Jose Banks Are Paying Record High Interest Rates - See the...SavingsPro |
Undo
Trump visit to bring '￡7.3bn' UK investment bonanza in major Brexit boost
Keir Starmer's cabinet reshuffle is a disaster and now the writing is on the wall for PM
Top Doctor: This Knee Pain Relief Device Might Be "The Future of Joint...LFG |
Learn More
Undo
Labour in panic mode as Keir Starmer fighting for survival - 'He's vulnerable'
Eight in 10 Brits say Keir's Starmer's Government is as sleazy as last Tory one
This Non-Surgical Method Could Relieve Years of Joint Pain and ArthritisLFG |
Learn More
Undo
Reform UK blasts Labour 'lies' over threat to US trade deal
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
Banned For 84 Years; Powerful Pain Reliever Legalized In CaliforniaHealth Breakthrough |
Click Here
Undo
Clumsy Keir Starmer thinks he's tough - but he's cackhandedly created a crisis
Two candidates confirmed in Labour race to replace Angela Rayner
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Keir Starmer warned he'll be 'gone in eight months' in revolt from his own MPs
Sadiq Khan now earns more than Prime Minister after pay rise
Rachel Reeves will torpedo trust if she breaks major tax promise
Taxpayers spend nearly ￡400bn on 438 quangos, 'explosive' findings show
Calls intensify for net EMIGRATION, heaping pressure on Starmer, Badenoch and Farage
Chaos as Labour can't say when migrants will be returned to France after flight cancelled
Reform UK's mission critical - policy area Nigel Farage must flesh out to be PM
Labour minister torn apart on GB News over migrant vow: 'Becoming nonsense'
Nigel Farage reveals the one reason he doesn't want Boris Johnson's help to defeat Starmer
Rachel Reeves 'Chancellor in name only' and Keir Starmer 'on the brink'
Reform voters give Keir Starmer a score out of 10 - and it's absolutely brutal
Trump visit to bring '￡7.3bn' UK investment bonanza in major Brexit boost
Finally Legal: it's Like a 'Vaccine for Joint and...Health Breakthrough
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Here’s The Gutter Guard Price On A 2,000 Sq Ft...Homebuddy
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Three San Jose Banks Are Paying Record High...SavingsPro
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Top Doctor: This Knee Pain Relief Device Might...LFG
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
“Fundamentally, people must see the rules being clearly expressed, clearly respected and properly enforced.
“For the system to be credible, decisions must be fair, and misuse and exploitation must be tackled fast, as we have heard from many colleagues, and along the way we must prevent illegal migration, overstaying, exploitation and undercutting.
“It is our position as a Government that the immigration system must be properly controlled and managed.”
Read next
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy