Overview
- About fifty Labour backbenchers have signalled they will vote against applying the new 10‑year threshold for indefinite leave to remain to people already living in the UK.
- The proposal would replace automatic settlement with an earned‑settlement test covering a clean criminal record, higher‑level English, three years of sustainable employment and clearance of government debts.
- Exemptions set out by ministers include existing ILR holders, family routes for British citizens and Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders.
- Home Office minister Mike Tapp defended the overhaul, citing projections that 2.2 million people could become eligible to settle between 2026 and 2030 with full entitlements.
- Opponents warn of harms to public services, employers and the UK’s reputation and legal experts predict challenges to the retrospective element, while separate political pressure grows as police confirm an investigation into Lord Peter Mandelson.