Indefinite leave to remain rules to tighten under Labour’s migration plans

Shiva K Dhakal
National Press Corporation(NPC)
United Kingdom-Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said migrants will have to “earn the right” to live in the UK as she unveiled stricter immigration plans at the Labour Party conference.

The new proposals include major changes to indefinite leave to remain status — the pathway to permanent residency. The qualifying period would double from five to 10 years, and applicants would need to demonstrate a high standard of English as well as a clean criminal record.

The move comes as Labour seeks to position itself on migration policy ahead of the next general election. Reform UK, which is currently leading some opinion polls, has pledged to scrap indefinite leave to remain entirely, saying those without new visas could face deportation.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised that stance as “racist”. But Reform’s deputy leader, Zia Yusuf, countered that voters did not back what he called “untrammelled migration”.

Earlier at the same conference, Chancellor Rachel Reeves warned of “harder choices” on public spending, while insisting Labour would not take risks with the nation’s finances. She reiterated her fiscal rules and said “there is nothing progressive about using £1 in every £10 of government spending on debt interest.”

Meanwhile, English universities have expressed fury at confirmation of a new 6% levy on income from international students. Vice-chancellors, who believed the proposal was still under consultation, told the BBC they were “livid” at the decision.

Universities rely heavily on overseas tuition fees, which are two to three times higher than those for UK students. They warn the levy risks making Britain less competitive globally, hitting both top-ranked institutions reliant on students from China and lower-ranked universities seeking growth from low-income countries.