Proposed UK immigration reforms threaten settlement plans for long-term residents
People who have lived in the UK for a decade and are close to qualifying for indefinite leave to remain say new rules could force them to leave and split families.
Under current rules, migrants who have spent ten years in the UK on visas such as student, graduate or spousal can apply for indefinite leave to remain, but the government plans to eliminate that route this autumn. Julian Grant, a Canadian-born renewable-energy consultant in Scotland, says the change would erase years of study, work and community involvement, forcing him to start over elsewhere. In Gloucester, an IT and healthcare worker known as Sami has already been separated from his wife and infant daughter after a visa reclassification barred dependents, and he worries the new policy will prevent reunification.
Others, including therapist Suveni Madan and healthcare assistant Ibrahim, describe similar uncertainty and loss of investment in education and careers. The Long Residence Advocacy Group, representing over 550 affected individuals, is calling for transitional measures, while the Home Office maintains the reforms aim to make settlement “earned”. Politicians such as Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood have expressed differing views on the proposals.
Why it matters
The reforms could uproot thousands of settled residents, disrupting families and the UK workforce.
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