It will become more difficult for immigrants to obtain permanent residency in Britain

Obtaining permanent residency for immigrants to become more difficult in Britain

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced a plan to reform immigration legislation. According to it, most legal immigrants will now have to wait at least 10 years to obtain permanent residency in the country. For illegal immigrants and some refugees, this period could extend up to 20 or even 30 years, BBC reported.

Until now, immigrants in Britain could usually apply for permanent residency (ILR) after living legally in the country for five years. ILR status allows foreigners to live, work, and study in Britain indefinitely, as well as access state benefits and social housing.

According to the plan presented by the Secretary in Parliament, the main waiting period for obtaining ILR is set at 10 years, but this period may be shortened or extended depending on the immigrant's income, integration into society, and contribution to the country.

Those who earn more than 50 thousand pounds a year can apply after 5 years.

For those whose annual income exceeds 125 thousand pounds, this period will be reduced to 3 years.

Immigrants who have received certain state benefits or violated visa rules may wait 20 years.

A 20-year period has also been established for individuals who arrived in Britain illegally by sea but are working or studying.

Those who entered the country illegally and do not work or study will have to wait 30 years.

In addition, a person wishing to obtain ILR must have no criminal record, no debt to the state, and have paid taxes for at least the last three years. Passing exams on the English language as well as British laws, history, and culture is also required.

Shabana Mahmood said the new rules would allow the government to save billions of pounds on benefits allocated to immigrants.

However, political commentators note that there is another reason for this decision. Restricting immigration has become an important political issue for the ruling Labour Party. This is because the right-wing populist Reform UK party, known for its sharp anti-immigration stance, poses serious competition to Labour.

BBC political commentator Chris Mason recalled that Mahmood had previously stated that between 2021 and 2024, the UK population grew by 2.6 million people due to immigration. In his view, if the government does not act faster, a large proportion of newly arrived immigrants will gain the opportunity to obtain permanent residency in the coming years.

Mahmood particularly emphasized that low-paid immigrants who brought non-working family members with them could impose a heavy cost on the state budget.

The proposals were criticized by some prominent representatives of the Labour Party.

In particular, former Housing Secretary Angela Rayner stated that applying new requirements to immigrants who arrived in Britain under previous rules would be unfair. In her opinion, this "does not align with British values."

According to official figures, net migration in Britain peaked at nearly one million people in 2023. This was partly due to the relaxation of visa requirements for citizens of non-EU countries by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government.

However, the situation has changed in recent years. According to data from the UK Home Office and the Office for National Statistics, net migration in 2025 halved compared to 2024, standing at 117 thousand people.

The population of Britain currently stands at nearly 70 million people. Since 2004, the country's population has grown by nearly 11 million people, mainly due to immigration.