Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has called plans to change visa rules for migrants already in the UK “the wrong thing to do”, describing the move as “un-British” in a fresh attack on the Labour government’s immigration policies.
Speaking to the BBC, Rayner said it would be wrong to make care staff already in the country wait up to 15 years before being allowed to settle permanently – a sharp increase from the current five-year period. The government has consulted on the proposed changes but has not yet made a final decision.
“Angela Rayner says making care workers wait 15 years for settlement is un-British”
“Controlling the borders is completely different to taking retrospective action on people who have made a life here,” Rayner told the BBC.
A UK government spokesperson defended the proposals, saying: “Our position has not changed, and the route to settlement will double from five to 10 years. We will always welcome those that come to this country and contribute to our national life. But the privilege of living here forever should be earned, not automatic.”
The spokesperson added that the country had experienced historically high levels of migration in recent years and that the government “must be honest about the scale and impact of hundreds of thousands of low-skilled migrants getting settlement”.
Rayner’s intervention came at a rally organised by the public service union Unison on Wednesday, where she said there should be no retrospective rule changes for care workers “who follow the rules and contribute to our society”.
“Care workers helped us through the darkest days of the pandemic,” Rayner told the rally. “Care is a system we may all need, and rely upon. So I for one won’t rest until all those who give and receive care do so with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Rayner first raised concerns about applying changes retrospectively in March. At the time, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham – Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield by-election – said he understood where Rayner was “coming from” and that the party “would do well to listen to what Angela has to say”. However, at the start of the by-election campaign, Burnham said he agreed with the “broad thrust” of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s approach.
Settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain, grants the right to live, work and study in the UK indefinitely and to apply for benefits if eligible. Ministers want to double the qualifying time for most migrants from five to 10 years. Under the proposals, people who arrived on health and social care visas would face a 15-year wait, while those who relied on benefits for more than 12 months would have to wait 20 years. Mahmood has defended the plans, saying the country needs to reduce net migration.