Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) gives you the right to live, work and study in the UK. The Government’s proposal to change the UK residency period for those who wish to qualify for ILR from five years to ten years or more penalises people in our communities who have played by the rules, and could see children who have spent their entire life in the UK left in a precarious immigration limbo.
I am honoured to represent Hornsey and Friern Barnet, one of the most diverse, inclusive and welcoming communities in the world, and a place where migrant communities have a long and rich history.
Over 180 languages are spoken in the borough of Haringey. The UK’s first female Asian police officer Karpal Kaur Sandhu first served at Hornsey Police Station in 1971. In 1977 the battle of Wood Green at Ducketts Common saw a rainbow coalition led by Jewish, Irish and Black communities unite to drive out the far-right National Front. In more recent years Hornsey and Friern Barnet has become a safe haven for those fleeing persecution from Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine and other conflict zones around the world. Migrants and refugees have always enriched our community.
Many constituents have contacted me with grave concerns about the Government’s proposed new settlement rules.
First and foremost, the Government’s plans to apply these rules retrospectively will affect many families across our community who have made the UK their home on the basis of a five-year route to settlement and could now face a qualifying period of ten years or more – this is not fair.
Whilst NHS nurses are exempt from the proposals, nursing support staff and care workers are not – even those who are already doing vital roles looking after some of the most vulnerable people in our community – this is not fair.
These changes could also mean that many children who arrive in the UK at a young age could end up spending most of their childhood and early adulthood without permanent immigration status – leading to all kinds of issues if they want to attend university or look for a job – this is not fair.
The House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee’s Report on Earned Settlement urges the Government to learn the lessons of the past:
The Home Office should learn from previous reforms that it is more important to get changes right than to implement them quickly. In order to deliver workable reforms of the kind set out in its Earned Settlement consultation, the department must take adequate time to assess the impact of its final policy and put in place measures to avoid unintended consequences.
I am urging the Government to pause, reflect and review before going any further with these proposals – we owe a duty of fairness to families across Hornsey and Friern Barnet and right across the country.