British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has warned that a future Tory government will revoke the settlement rights of migrants who fail to contribute more to the UK economy than they receive in public benefits.
Badenoch said migrants granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under Labour’s revised immigration rules would have their status reviewed and withdrawn if they became a net burden on British taxpayers.
In an article published in The Telegraph, the opposition leader criticised the Labour Government’s decision to relax proposed restrictions on migrant settlement, particularly for foreign care workers.
She argued that permanent residency should not be secured simply by completing a few years of employment but should depend on sustained economic contribution.
“Contribution should be something continuous, not something you do as a quick fix to gaining long-term residency and the right to claim benefits for the rest of your life,” she said.
Badenoch accused Labour of prioritising internal political interests over the country’s economic interests, claiming that the Government had weakened its original immigration proposals following opposition from Labour MPs and trade unions.
The controversy follows Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s decision to exempt up to 300,000 foreign care workers from tougher settlement restrictions.
Under the revised arrangements, some 1.4 million migrants who arrived in Britain during the previous Conservative administration could qualify for permanent settlement after five years rather than the proposed 15 years.
Badenoch said the Home Office had estimated that allowing approximately 350,000 social care workers to obtain indefinite leave to remain could cost British taxpayers almost £10 billion over their lifetimes through increased demands on healthcare, education and other public services.
She maintained that Britain could not afford to extend permanent settlement and welfare entitlements without considering the financial implications for ordinary taxpayers.
The Conservative leader acknowledged that her own party had made mistakes on immigration, particularly by expanding recruitment opportunities for lower-paid foreign care workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said the Conservatives had lost public confidence over immigration and other issues, contributing to their heavy defeat in the last general election.
However, Badenoch insisted that the party was now under new leadership and had developed a different approach to controlling migration.
She also criticised Labour for abandoning its original proposals after political pressure from within its ranks, arguing that immigration policy should be guided by national interests rather than electoral calculations.
Under the Conservatives’ proposed immigration framework, migrants entering Britain legally would have to wait at least 10 years before qualifying for permanent settlement and another five years before applying for citizenship.
The party also proposes denying non-citizens access to benefits and social housing, introducing higher salary thresholds for foreign workers, imposing annual limits on immigration and deporting people who enter Britain illegally.
Badenoch said Britain remained open to migrants whose skills and services were genuinely needed but insisted that long-term residency should come with continuing responsibilities.
“The days of low-skilled mass immigration must come to an end,” she declared.
Her proposals signal a tougher Conservative position on immigration, with economic contribution, public spending and access to welfare placed at the centre of the party’s future migration policy.
Courtesy of the Telegraph
Picture: Badenoch
