Badenoch Vows to Strip Settled Status From Non-Contributors
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pledged to revoke indefinite leave to remain for migrants who are not net contributors following a Labour policy shift on care workers.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch vowed that a future Tory government would strip indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from migrants who fail to be net contributors to the United Kingdom. This pledge follows a decision by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to exempt nearly 300,000 foreign care workers from a crackdown intended to delay their eligibility for settlement. Mahmood confirmed that care workers earning £25,000 per year can apply for ILR after five years, a move Badenoch claims reflects Prime Minister Andy Burnham abandoning tougher immigration proposals to unite the political Left.
The Conservative Party further alleges that Labour's policies will increase the national benefits bill by approximately £5.2 billion, potentially allowing 450,000 additional people to claim Universal Credit. Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately proposed doubling residency requirements for settlement from five to ten years, arguing the UK is not a cash machine for the world. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp added that settlement should be earned through work and tax rather than serving as a ticket to a lifetime on benefits.
The Home Office dismissed the Conservative analysis as totally wrong, asserting that the previous Tory government lost control of the migration system by lowering skills and income requirements. Government officials maintain that settlement will only follow contribution and claim that 500,000 people who received visas under the previous administration will be unable to settle in the next five years due to current restrictions.
