Miatta Fahnbulleh Clarifies Support for Migration Residency Reforms

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh issued a clarification on Thursday supporting Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's proposed migration reforms. The statement follows previous remarks in which Fahnbulleh suggested she could not "lie" about her support for the policies.

The controversy centers on a proposal to increase the waiting period for foreign workers to obtain indefinite leave to remain from five to 15 years. The government is considering backdating this requirement to 2021. While Prime Minister Andy Burnham reportedly supports the firm stance, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and several Labour MPs have expressed reservations, arguing the rules punish genuine workers.

The Home Office is currently reviewing more than 200,000 consultation responses. This review will determine if the government will grant exemptions for care workers or modify the retrospective application of the residency rules.