By Ahmed Abdelsalam
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to announce stricter rules for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) this afternoon, requiring most foreign workers to wait ten years instead of five, and care workers fifteen years, according to plans first unveiled in November. The measures will apply to workers already in the UK, not just new arrivals.
Mahmood to outline stricter settlement rules
The statement, expected after 3:30 pm, retains the broad thrust of the original proposal despite a reported climbdown on care workers. The changes do not require primary legislation, limiting parliamentary amendment opportunities. More than 100 Labour MPs are said to be uneasy about the plans.
Burnham signals shift on migration rhetoric
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a former minister who previously argued for kinder treatment of care workers, declined in an ITV interview to say net migration remains too high. He noted legal migration had “come right down” and said planned migration should follow economic gaps. Burnham did say small boat crossings were “too high, for certain.”
Context: falling net migration and reduced Reform UK threat
The announcement comes as net migration falls sharply, according to recent Office for Budget Responsibility figures, and the electoral threat from Reform UK has receded. When Mahmood first proposed the changes last autumn, Reform UK led Labour in polls by over ten points, and she argued low-skilled foreign workers burdened taxpayers—a claim contested by experts.
Labour-Green council agreements under review
Separately, Labour will update how many power-sharing agreements with Green parties at council level will continue, following a directive that Labour councillors only work with local Greens willing to disown a “Zionism is racism” motion passed at the Green conference.
