UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, don tell Labour government make them no change dia mind on di 10-year qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain, or ILR. She say temporary work visa holders no suppose automatically get permanent stay for Britain.
Badenoch make this call for her X handle on Monday, while she dey release letter wey she write to di UK Home Secretary. For di letter, she criticise some Labour lawmakers wey dey try to water down di government immigration reforms.
She write: “People who come to Britain on temporary work visas should not automatically be able to stay forever. This Labour government was right to make that harder. Now their MPs want them to U-turn. Conservatives will back Labour’s original plan to help get it through Parliament.”
Di letter, wey Badenoch sign with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, warn against reports say di government dey consider exempting about two million migrants wey enter UK on work visas between 2021 and now from di proposed changes.
Badenoch call di reported exemption “a grave mistake.” She argue say Britain don already experience di consequences of allowing migrants to obtain permanent settlement too quick. “As Conservatives learned to our cost, five years is too short a time to obtain the indefinite right to remain in the UK,” di letter state.
She further argue say many migrants wey dey low-paid and low-skilled jobs fit be replaced by economically inactive British citizens if more employment opportunities dey created. According to her, migrants wey no make significant economic contribution over ten years suppose return to dia home countries once dia temporary work visas expire.
She write: “Individuals who are not making a significant economic contribution over a ten-year period should not be allowed to stay indefinitely. Those not working, or working in low-paid jobs, should be required to go home at the end of their temporary work visa.”
Badenoch also maintain say granting ILR after just five years dey increase pressure on Britain welfare system, because recipients become eligible for social benefits and fit later apply for British citizenship. She argue say extending di qualifying period to ten years no go amount to changing di rules retrospectively, as temporary work visas no confer automatic right to permanent residence.
“The government is perfectly entitled to decide at any time the rules on indefinite rights of settlement, including in relation to those here already,” she say.
Offering cross-party support, Badenoch say di Conservative Party go back Labour original immigration proposals if dem introduce am without dilution. “If you table the proposals set out last autumn in undiluted form, either in the Immigration Rules or as part of the Immigration and Asylum Bill, we will support them,” di letter say.
She add say Labour handling of di reforms go show whether di party dey genuinely committed to controlling immigration and strengthening di UK borders.
