Overview

• Mahmood’s plan would require applicants for permanent status to be in work, pay National Insurance, avoid claiming benefits, volunteer in their communities, meet a higher English standard and have a clean criminal record.
• The government has opened a consultation on lengthening the qualifying residence from five years to ten, with further details to follow later this year.
• Keir Starmer said Reform UK’s proposal to remove permanent status from people lawfully in Britain is “racist” and “immoral”, a stance backed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
• Reform UK defended its policy to scrap permanent residency in favor of five‑year renewable visas with stricter thresholds and a ban on benefits, with exemptions for Hong Kong and Ukraine nationals and EU settled‑status holders.
• Refugee groups and charities warned Labour’s approach risks punishing refugees and creating a two‑tier society, as debate intensifies over high net migration and an expected surge in people becoming eligible to settle in early 2026.