“Shabana Mahmood has softened plans to force low-paid workers to wait 15 years before settlement in the UK following a backlash from fellow cabinet ministers and backbench Labour MPs,” reports the Guardian, following the Home Secretary’s announcement about the finalised earned settlement policy today.
In response, Dr Dora-Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre, said: “The Home Secretary’s concession for care workers will no doubt be welcomed by those who answered this country’s call in its hour of need. Asking them to wait 15 years was never right.
“We are greatly relieved that migrant care workers will no longer be tied to rogue employers and will be given longer to find a new job before their visas are curtailed. This is what we have been urging the government to do for years, and we are thankful they listened.
“However, it remains deeply unfair that other migrant workers, including those already in this country, are still facing an extended ten-year path to settlement. Shabana Mahmood’s failure to listen to calls from MPs, the TUC and the general public to drop the retrospective element of these proposals is extremely disappointing. This is not ‘fair play’. It’s changing the goalposts halfway. It’s fundamentally un-British.
“This decision ignores the evidence from the Migration Advisory Committee, which only last year found that Skilled Workers invariably make a positive fiscal contribution to our country, and it sacrifices their futures in the name of appearing tough on migration.”
On behalf of the public sector union Unison, General Secretary Andrea Egan said they were glad the Home Secretary had finally listened but pointed out that the government had “spent a year attacking workers who are the backbone of our health and social care system, in a futile attempt to appease the far-right.”
Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP said: “It’s welcome that the government has had to concede to the Unison campaign to protect social care workers on existing work visas to prevent the collapse of social care in this country. However, Shabana Mahmood has just confirmed that if someone comes here via an ‘illegal method such as by a small boat’ they will have to wait 30 years before they can apply for permanent settlement.
“Her argument is that these refugees must come by new, safe, legal routes. The problem is that these routes barely exist and as a result many desperate people are forced to resort to other routes. The new rules announced today means that many people, including many children, will have to live with the insecurity of not having settled status for 30 years. We are in danger of witnessing the creation of a generation of unsettled and insecure young people.”
Richard Burgon MP also welcomed the government’s concession but added: “I’ll keep pushing for the other changes needed, including on refugees.”
Speaking of the parliamentary debate today, Apsana Begum MP said: “In the Commons, there appears to be a competition over who can display the most performative cruelty against migrants. While the change of approach on care workers is welcome, I continue to oppose earned settlement proposals and the relentless demonisation of migrants and refugees.”
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