Temporary Work Visas Shouldn’t Lead to Automatic UK Permanent Residency— UK Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch

UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said migrants who enter Britain on temporary work visas should not automatically gain permanent residency, urging the Labour government to keep its proposed 10-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Badenoch made the remarks in a post on X while sharing a letter to the UK Home Secretary. She criticised calls by some Labour lawmakers for the government to soften its planned immigration reforms, insisting that temporary work visas should not guarantee permanent settlement.

In the letter, jointly signed with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, Badenoch opposed reports that the Labour government was considering exempting about two million migrants who arrived on work visas between 2021 and now from the proposed extension of the ILR qualifying period from five to 10 years.

She described such a move as a “grave mistake,” arguing that the previous five-year route to permanent residency was too short. According to her, some migrants in low-paid and low-skilled jobs could be replaced by economically inactive British citizens if more opportunities were created.

Badenoch also argued that migrants who fail to make a meaningful economic contribution over a decade should return to their home countries when their temporary work visas expire instead of remaining indefinitely.

She maintained that granting ILR after five years increases pressure on the welfare system because successful applicants become eligible for state benefits and can later apply for British citizenship.

Badenoch added that extending the qualifying period to 10 years would not be retrospective since temporary work visas do not guarantee permanent settlement. She also pledged the Conservative Party’s support if the Labour government retains the original proposal without exemptions.

Source: Instablog

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