Ministers working with Labour backbenchers to temper Mahmood immigration plans | Immigration and asylum

Several ministers are working with Labour backbenchers to seek exemptions to proposed changes to immigration rules, which would extend the waiting period for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing internal pressure to ensure the measures do not apply to individuals already in the country.

Immigration Rule Changes Face Internal Opposition

Under the proposed changes, most individuals would need to wait 10 years to qualify for indefinite leave to remain, an increase from the current five-year period. Starmer is currently consulting on the changes and has considered excluding migrants working in the public sector and those nearing settled status.

Labour MPs are urging the prime minister to go further and exempt those who have already arrived in the UK, a suggestion previously made by former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. One backbencher believes stopping the changes from applying retrospectively would appease most opponents, while others, including Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, are calling for broader changes, including to the earned settlement element.

Downing Street sources stated the changes are subject to consultation, including the retrospective element, which would affect individuals who have been in the UK for the past five years.

Concerns Over Home Office Communication

Some Labour MPs have expressed anger over briefings against colleagues who have voiced opposition, specifically Tony Vaughan, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, and Attorney General Richard Hermer. The Home Office has denied being the source of the briefings.

Several MPs also reported difficulties in getting their concerns addressed by the Home Office, with some receiving no response to written letters. One MP described a sense of “contempt” towards those expressing concerns, as a parliamentary vote is not required on the changes.

The proposed changes are also appearing in campaign literature from the Green party, with leaflets accusing Labour of “punishing hardworking migrants.”

The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has led the government’s efforts to tighten immigration policies in response to the rise of Reform UK. However, Labour MPs are concerned that the Green party’s recent byelection victory demonstrates a threat from both the left and right of the political spectrum.

A group of 100 Labour MPs previously signed a letter opposing the measures, arguing against threatening to forcibly remove refugees who have lived in the UK lawfully for extended periods. Sarah Owen, of the Tribune group, compared the potential use of force against children to tactics employed by ICE under Donald Trump.

Rayner criticized the changes to settled status, stating that constantly “moving the goalposts” undermines fair play and is “un-British.”

A Home Office spokesperson reiterated the government’s position, stating that the privilege of living in the UK should be earned and acknowledging the significant levels of migration experienced between 2021 and 2024. The government will double the route to settlement from five to ten years and is reviewing 200,000 responses to the consultation, with a response forthcoming.