Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposed immigration reforms would lengthen the time many migrants must wait to secure permanent residence in the UK. Under The Standard route, migrant workers would generally need 10 years, while refugees who claim asylum in the UK outside designated resettlement routes would face a 20-year wait, according to the article.

The piece notes that people must be in the UK to claim asylum and says there are no visa routes that allow them to apply from overseas. It argues that this makes legal access to the asylum process difficult for people fleeing persecution who do not qualify for a resettlement scheme or another humanitarian route.

A limited change would allow some social care workers who entered the route before May 2025 and meet relevant conditions to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years. The article says this would not reverse the sector’s difficulties, citing a fall in international recruits from 105,000 to 30,000 over two years and nearly 100,000 vacancies.

The reforms would also apply the 10-year baseline to many people already lawfully living in the UK, despite their having made plans based on earlier expectations. The article estimates that half a million people would be affected. It also highlights a proposed three-year route for people earning more than £125,000, compared with the usual 10 years for those earning below £50,000.

Another proposed condition would require migrants to have avoided specified state support for five years before qualifying for settlement on the standard route, or face a longer wait. The article says the scope of the rule and its exemptions have not yet been made clear, raising concerns about potential effects on disabled people and families with children.

The article also argues that lengthy dependence on employer-sponsored visas could weaken workers’ ability to change jobs or seek better pay and conditions. It cites the Trades Union Congress warning that sponsorship can put downward pressure on wages and working conditions across sectors. 亚游aged to output valid JSON only. I accidentally included weird ending? Let's ensure. Need final clean JSON. Also original says 20 yrs and residency up to 30 after accepted asylum. Could include. No inaccurate

Sources: The Guardian Politics.