Shabana Mahmood softens immigration plans in face of cabinet backlash
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has climbed down from hardline immigration proposals following sustained pushback from trade unions, cabinet colleagues, and Labour lawmakers. Under the revised rules, an estimated 146,000 care workers earning more than £25,000, along with roughly 136,000 dependants, will be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years rather than the originally proposed 15-year wait. Other roles below degree level, including chefs and butchers, will now face a 10-year pathway rather than the previously planned 15-year requirement.
The concession follows intense pressure within the government, including criticism from Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who branded the previous 15-year wait for care staff un-British, alongside representations from London Mayor Sadiq Khan. While top earners making over £125,000 retain a three-year settlement route and key public sector professionals such as doctors and teachers qualify after five years, Mahmood preserved severe penalties for irregular arrivals. Migrants who cross by small boats face waits of up to 30 years for permanent status, while legal asylum seekers face 10 to 20 years depending on their employment and financial independence.
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