Home secretary softens settlement rules for care workers after cabinet pushback
The Guardian reported that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood reversed her most hardline immigration proposals following a cabinet backlash and pressure from…
The Guardian reported that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood reversed her most hardline immigration proposals following a cabinet backlash and pressure from health unions. In a statement to MPs on Monday, she said the original plan to make care workers wait 15 years for settlement would be scrapped, but many migrants would still face retrospective changes that could extend the wait to ten years.
The revised policy introduces a carve‑out for care workers, allowing an estimated 280,000 individuals and their dependants to apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years of residence. The change aims to address concerns about staffing in the health sector while still tightening overall immigration rules.
Mahmood’s shift comes after criticism that the earlier proposal would have strained the care workforce. By offering a faster route for care workers, the government hopes to balance immigration control with the need for essential services.
Why it matters
The adjustment could affect hundreds of thousands of migrants and help alleviate staffing shortages in the UK’s health care system.
Key details
- Location
- United Kingdom · Europe
- Reported by
- The Guardian
- First reported
- Key names
- Shabana Mahmood, UK, MPs
- Section
- Politics
Sources
This is an independent summary. Read the full, original reporting from the publisher:
Read the full story at The GuardianSpotted an error? Request a correction · How this summary was produced
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