The Labour Party government is tightening its immigration policies in an attempt to curb the growing support for the populist Reform Party, focusing specifically on reducing the number of people arriving illegally from France in small boats. Currently, migrants with refugee status can qualify. The new proposal will mean that permanent residency is not guaranteed and will be subject to a longer process that includes showing a contribution to Britain.
The government stated, “These changes will put an end to the unfair system that allows those crossing the channel in a small boat to enjoy greater rights to settlement and family reunification than those arriving through proper legal routes and even British citizens.”
The plans rely on stricter rules for regularizing the status of all migrants, outlined by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday, according to British media. These conditions include requiring applicants to pay social security contributions, have a clean criminal record, not claim benefits, speak English, and volunteer in community activities.
The government also announced it will increase the qualifying periods for obtaining permanent residency to 10 years. In an announcement on Wednesday, it was stated that refugees will also lose the automatic right to bring their families to Britain. The government suspended these family reunification requests in September.
