A significant change in policy has been announced by Kemi Badenoch, who has suggested that immigrants must wait at least 15 years before they can apply for British citizenship.
As part of her first significant announcement as Tory leader, the idea aims to tighten the immigration system by increasing the time frame from five to ten years before migrants may apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
She also revealed that anyone with criminal records, social housing access, or benefit claims would not be allowed to settle in the UK permanently.
“I want to make living here truly mean something and cut down on immigration.” The way our immigration system operates needs to be changed. Therefore, I am declaring that the conservative party will do the following actions in a different way: The period of time you must reside in our country for five years before applying for indefinite leave to remain would be extended to ten years if you wish to stay here permanently. 2. You must have a high enough salary and be a net contributor, particularly if you wish to bring family members along. Additionally, you are prohibited if you have a criminal history.
“We would extend the 12-month period for applying for a British passport to five years, which would mean that it would take at least 15 years to begin the application process. She stated in a video posted on her X, formerly known as Twitter, profile, “You will never be granted leave to remain or a passport if you enter this country illegally or overstay your visa.”
Most migrants can apply for ILR under the existing system after working in the UK for five years, while some visa holders can qualify in as little as two or three years.
After a year, holders of ILR are eligible to apply for British citizenship, which gives them the ability to live, work, and study in the UK indefinitely.
The new Conservative proposal triples the minimum term from six to fifteen years by extending the ILR period to ten years and requiring an extra five years of waiting before migrants can seek for citizenship.
By changing the impending Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, which is scheduled for parliamentary consideration next week, the party is attempting to have these measures retroactively implemented to 2021.
Additionally, Badenoch’s plan restricts immigrants’ access to welfare.
The “no recourse to public funds” clause prevents the majority of asylum seekers, migrants on work visas, and those in the UK unlawfully from receiving state assistance; nevertheless, some have had this limitation removed.
According to Badenoch, the current system has produced a “conveyor belt” to citizenship, enabling an excessive number of individuals to arrive in the UK too rapidly and “putting a strain on public services.”
In an interview with the BBC, she stated, “We need to make sure that people coming here have a real, meaningful connection to the UK—no criminal records, they should be net contributors to the economy, not relying on benefits but people who care about our country and our communities.”
She would not, however, say how much this measure would lower the number of migrants.
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