Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to announce a significant overhaul of the conditions for gaining “indefinite leave to remain” (ILR) in the UK. These proposals, to be detailed at the Labour Party Conference, mark a distinct shift from current immigration policies and are framed as essential for securing the right to permanent residency.

Under the new conditions, gaining ILR will require individuals to actively contribute to society. Key requirements include being in work, consistently making National Insurance contributions, refraining from claiming benefits payments, demonstrating a high standard of English proficiency, maintaining a spotless criminal record, and actively participating in their local community through volunteering. Currently, ILR is often automatically granted after five years if basic conditions are met. However, the new proposals, building on an Immigration White Paper published in May, will extend this standard qualifying period to a baseline of ten years. The Home Department emphasizes that settlement must be earned; some individuals, based on their significant contribution or in-demand skills, may achieve earlier settlement, while others with lesser contributions might receive ILR later or potentially not at all.

A public consultation on these far-reaching proposals is scheduled to launch later this year. The government highlights this move as a 'marked shift' designed to draw a clear ideological dividing line between Labour and the Reform UK party. Reform UK has advocated for more stringent measures, including scrapping ILR for non-EU citizens entirely, forcing those who have lived in the UK for decades to reapply for new visas with tougher rules, and barring them from claiming benefits. Labour leader Keir Starmer has critically labelled Reform's plans as 'racist' and 'immoral', emphasizing Labour's commitment to rejecting such 'quick fix solutions' that could divide the country.

Ms. Mahmood is expected to frame her role as a 'tough Home Secretary' who will also be a 'tough Labour Home Secretary,' fighting for a distinct national vision. She plans to criticize the previous Conservative government for allegedly having 'lost control of our borders,' running a 'failed open border experiment on migration,' and leaving communities feeling unsafe. Expressing concern that patriotism is veering towards 'ethno-nationalism,' she will argue her policies are part of a broader effort to 'keep the country together' and prevent working people from turning to 'false promises of Farage.'

In a personal segment of her speech, Mahmood will reflect on her parents’ experience as migrants to the UK, underscoring her belief that the acceptance of migrants hinges on their contribution to local communities. She will also share how her childhood experience as a victim of shoplifting while working in her family’s corner shop inspired her commitment to combating street-level crime. Building on this, Ms. Mahmood will announce a new 'winter of action' aimed at tackling shoplifting and anti-social behaviour during the busiest retail period. This initiative will involve police forces partnering with local businesses to address crime in hundreds of locations, following the perceived success of a 'summer of action' earlier in the year that saw increased police patrols, undercover operations, fines, protective orders, and arrests across 600 locations.

The proposals have not been without criticism. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, has voiced concerns that penalizing those who claim benefits risks creating further barriers for refugees. Solomon argues that refugees often require initial support to integrate and find their footing, especially when asylum seekers are typically barred from working. He suggests that such policies could undermine integration efforts by implying that needing help could permanently prevent them from securing a safe, permanent home in Britain. The political backdrop to these announcements is further highlighted by a recent YouGov MRP polling projection, which suggested Reform UK could win 311 seats in a general election, underscoring the perceived electoral threat that Labour is actively seeking to counter.