London, 29 September (H.S.): Migrants will need to prove they are contributing to British society before being granted the right to remain in the UK permanently, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to declare in her Labour conference speech.Outlining a tough new framework for settlement, Mahmood will announce that migrants seeking indefinite leave to remain must demonstrate high-level English proficiency, maintain a clean criminal record, and give back to their local communities through voluntary service.
Currently, eligibility for permanent residency is granted after five years. Labour proposes extending that period to 10 years, while also linking the process to evidence of integration, such as consistent National Insurance contributions and avoiding reliance on welfare benefits. The policy, first flagged in May consultations, is intended to reinforce fair migration while sharply distinguishing Labour from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which has vowed to abolish indefinite leave to remain altogether.
Reform’s plan to replace settlement with renewable visas has faced criticism from Labour, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer branding it racist and immoral in a BBC interview on Sunday. Labour argues the move would uproot long-settled families who have contributed to Britain for decades.
Mahmood, who will deliver her keynote speech later today, is expected to say that patriotism is turning into something smaller, something more like ethno-nationalism. She will argue that border security must go hand in hand with preserving the UK’s identity as open, generous, tolerant.
Drawing on her own family background, the home secretary will revisit her parents’ migration story and recall her childhood behind the counter of the family’s corner shop, where she once fell victim to theft. Linking that personal memory to current policy, Mahmood will announce a “winter of action” campaign against shoplifting, under which police forces will join with local businesses to crack down on retail crime.
Labour strategists see the speech as part of a broader battle against Reform UK, which is currently surging ahead in national polls. Mahmood, however, will caution her party that failing to deliver credible policies risks alienating working-class voters and driving them toward Farage’s movement.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
