Burnham declines to say net migration still too high as Mahmood prepares to unveil tougher settlement rules – UK politics live
Settlement rules due to change
The government is expected to announce changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain, or ILR, the status that allows people to settle in the UK. The proposed rules could mean some migrants wait at least 10 years to qualify.
The account says the announcement is due later today, while another passage says Mahmood is expected to act tomorrow. It does not resolve the difference in timing.
Labour divided over policy
The dispute has exposed divisions within Labour over how ILR rules should change. Angela Rayner is described as defending existing arrangements on grounds of fairness to foreign nationals, while Mahmood has faced pressure over plans to alter the system.
The article also reports Conservative criticism of the expected approach. The party’s stated proposal is a 10-year settlement route limited to high-wage workers, with temporary visa holders in low-wage jobs required to leave when their visas expire.
Workers challenge burden claims
Kolade said the immigration debate often overlooks the people whose lives policy changes could affect. He objected to descriptions of care work as low-skilled and migrant workers as a burden on the economy.
“We are not a burden to the British state,” Kolade said, adding that care workers support British families and contribute. He said this work was, in his view, a way of showing they had earned the right to remain.
Migration levels questioned
Burnham declined to say whether net migration was still too high. He said planned migration should follow gaps in the economy, making it difficult to describe the level as simply too high or too low.
The debate also includes concerns about the effects on villages, towns, suburbs and cities, alongside calls for greater attention to the British public. The article presents those concerns alongside arguments about migrant workers’ contributions.
Key points
- Mahmood is expected to announce changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain.
- Some migrants could face a wait of 10 years or more to settle in the UK.
- The Conservatives propose a 10-year route restricted to high-wage workers.
- Burnham said planned migration should follow gaps in the economy.