Conservatives propose a 10-year benefit ban for foreign workers seeking UK settlement, tougher immigration rules

Foreign workers seeking indefinite leave to remain in the UK will face a 10-year wait without claiming any benefits under plans announced by the Conservatives.

Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, aims to amend the government’s immigration bill, doubling the time required to qualify for settled status as part of her party’s latest effort to tighten immigration controls.

The proposal would significantly extend the waiting period for foreign workers to settle in the UK and would effectively bar refugees from most of the world from ever achieving settled status.

Additional requirements would include demonstrating a clean criminal record, never having claimed social housing, and being a “net contributor” to the UK economy.

Most work visas already include a “no recourse to public funds” condition, preventing individuals from claiming benefits or utilising social housing. Furthermore, a criminal record typically delays or prevents indefinite leave to remain.

Badenoch stated: “Our country is not a dormitory, it’s our home. The right to citizenship and permanent residency should only go to those who have demonstrated a real commitment to the UK. That’s why we should double the length of time before people can qualify for indefinite leave to remain from five to 10 years.”

She added: “The Conservative party is under new leadership. We’re going to tell the hard truths about immigration. The pace of immigration has been too quick and the numbers coming too high for meaningful integration. We need to slow down the track for citizenship.”

Under current rules, workers and refugees residing in the UK for five years can apply for indefinite leave to remain, enabling them to stay in the country without full citizenship. This status grants them the right to claim benefits, although they must wait an additional year before applying for citizenship.

The Tories propose extending this waiting period to 10 years and disqualifying anyone who has claimed benefits or resided in social housing during that time. They will also need to contribute more in taxes than they and their dependents collectively receive in public services or welfare.

Once settled status is granted, applicants must wait another five years before applying for full citizenship.

Individuals entering the UK illegally – including those seeking asylum from almost everywhere – will be permanently barred from claiming settled status.

Only asylum seekers arriving through “safe and legal routes” – primarily from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, or Ukraine – will be eligible for indefinite leave to remain.

The Conservatives have also committed to introducing a cap on net migration, though the specific level remains undisclosed.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, commented: “Recent numbers have been far too high. That’s why we will introduce a binding annual cap on visa numbers, at far lower levels.”

The Tories oversaw record levels of net migration during their time in office, a factor that many senior party members believe contributed significantly to their election defeat last year.

In a speech last year, Badenoch acknowledged: “During the last Conservative administration, we promised to bring numbers down. We did not deliver that promise. We ended free movement but the system that replaced it is not working.”

Since assuming power, Labour has abandoned the previous government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Instead, Labour has introduced its own borders and immigration bill, aimed at empowering police forces to take action against people smuggling gangs.

Both Labour and the Tories have been alarmed by the recent surge in support for the anti-immigration Reform UK party. A recent YouGov poll gave Nigel Farage’s party a national lead for the first time in any major survey.