Three prominent children’s charities in the UK are urging Shabana Mahmood to reconsider her controversial immigration reforms. Coram, Barnardo’s, and the Children’s Society have raised concerns over the potential impact of indefinite leave to remain (ILR) changes on vulnerable children, with research suggesting that up to 90,000 youngsters could be pushed into poverty. Mahmood’s proposal aims to extend the standard qualification period for ILR from five to ten years, emphasizing the concept of earning the right to settle in the UK. The plan includes provisions for faster settlement for individuals contributing to their communities, prioritizing high-earning professionals like NHS staff.
However, the proposed changes also entail penalties for those on benefits or who entered the country illegally, including extended waiting periods up to 30 years. Restrictions on benefits for migrant families and limitations on their children accessing student finance as ‘home’ applicants are also part of the reforms. While the Home Secretary defends the reforms as fair, the move to apply them retrospectively has triggered criticism.
The children’s charities advocate for maintaining existing rules, such as granting ILR to seven-year-olds born in the UK and establishing a five-year pathway for children residing in the country for seven years. Additionally, they call for safeguards to ensure that babies and children are not subjected to force. Dame Carol Homden emphasizes the importance of aligning settlement and asylum reforms with broader government objectives for children, including addressing child poverty.
Labour MPs, including former Deputy PM Angela Rayner, have condemned the plan to apply ILR changes retroactively, labeling it as “un-British” and a breach of trust. Despite the backlash, recent polling indicates that half of the public supports Mahmood’s proposals, with 22% undecided. The Home Office estimates that without intervention, 1.6 million individuals could obtain permanent settlement by 2030 due to increased net migration trends under the current government.
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the need for earned privileges in settling permanently in the UK, citing the historic surge in migration levels between 2021 and 2024. The government’s consultation on doubling the settlement period to ten years for those without settled status is ongoing, with a review of the responses received. The final decision on the proposed changes is yet to be announced.
