Kemi Badenoch, leader of Conservative Party, has unveiled plans to overhaul the UK’s immigration system, proposing stricter measures that could significantly impact migrants' paths to citizenship.
Key Proposals
Extended Residency Requirement:
Badenoch is pushing to increase the time immigrants must reside in the UK before being eligible for permanent settlement. The current five-year wait for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) would be extended to ten years, with a further five-year period before qualifying for British citizenship—effectively raising the total wait time from six years to fifteen.
Lifetime Ban for Illegal Entrants:
Individuals who enter the UK illegally would be permanently barred from obtaining citizenship. This measure, Badenoch argues, is necessary to deter unlawful migration and maintain fairness in the system.
Exclusion of Benefit Claimants from Residency:
Under the new proposal, migrants who have claimed state benefits or used social housing would be denied permanent settlement. Only those deemed "net contributors" to the economy, with a clean criminal record, would be eligible.
Badenoch first introduced these proposals during a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies in London on November 27, 2024, where she called for a fundamental overhaul of the UK’s immigration policies. She reiterated her stance today on her X (formerly Twitter) account, stating:
"British citizenship is a privilege, not an automatic right. Our immigration system must reward those who contribute while stopping illegal entry and benefit abuse. We will fix this broken system."
She emphasized that rapid immigration has hindered integration and that these measures aim to restore control and public confidence in the system.
The proposals have sparked mixed reactions. Supporters within the Conservative Party back the initiative as a necessary step to restore public confidence in the immigration system. However, critics argue that the extended wait times and benefits restrictions could disproportionately affect lower-income migrants who contribute through work but may require temporary support.
Labour and human rights organizations have also raised concerns about the lifetime citizenship ban, questioning whether it aligns with the UK’s international obligations and principles of fairness.
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