Migrants on work visas who claim benefits will no longer be eligible for permanent settlement in the UK under new Conservative Party proposals. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch outlined the policy as part of her efforts to reshape the party’s stance on immigration. The proposal aims to slow the pathway to citizenship and prevent low-paid foreign workers from securing residency if they have relied on social benefits.
“Our country is not a dormitory, it’s our home. The right to citizenship and permanent residency should only go to those who have demonstrated a real commitment to the UK,” said Badenoch.
Under the plan, the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) would be doubled from five to ten years. Applicants must not have used social benefits or social housing during this period and would need to prove they are net contributors to the economy. Those with a criminal record would be excluded from the process entirely.
Badenoch, who took over from Rishi Sunak in November, framed the proposal as a necessary step to control immigration levels, stating that “the pace of immigration has been too quick and the numbers coming too high for meaningful integration.”
The move comes amid record net migration figures, with 906,000 people arriving in the UK in 2023. The policy also serves as a key point of distinction between the Conservatives and Labour, with Badenoch criticizing Labour’s immigration stance. “Far from reducing the number of people coming into Britain, the Labour government is presiding over an incoming disaster,” she said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to lower net migration and plans to introduce new employer requirements to train and recruit domestic workers. A YouGov poll on Wednesday (5) found that 56 percent of the public believed Labour’s immigration policy was “not strict enough.”
The Conservative proposal also sparked internal debate. Last week, Badenoch clashed with shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, who defended the previous Tory government’s handling of migration. In response, Badenoch said it was important for the party to “tell the truth about the mistakes we made.” Patel later agreed that the party should learn from past missteps.
Labour’s border security minister Angela Eagle dismissed the proposal, arguing that the Conservatives had “lost control of our borders” over the past 14 years and that their current stance is a reversal of policies they previously introduced.
The government is expected to publish a white paper in the coming weeks outlining its strategy to manage migration, including measures to reduce reliance on foreign workers.
