World
Angela Rayner questioned the tightening of migration rules in the United Kingdom
The Housing Secretary expressed reservations about a plan that would extend the timeline for obtaining permanent residency. According to BBC Mundo and The Guardian, the government will define the policy before the end of the year.
Angela Rayner, the United Kingdom’s Housing Secretary, again distanced herself from the official proposal to tighten the conditions for foreign workers to obtain permanent residency, on the eve of the Labour Party’s annual conference.
According to BBC Mundo, Rayner said in an interview with The Times that she is concerned about changing the rules for people who arrived in the country at the start of this decade with the expectation of regularizing their status under the current scheme. She said that changing those conditions “years later” would be unfair and “very disruptive.”
According to the report, the initiative foresees that most migrants would have to wait 10 years to qualify for residency, instead of the current five, while those with visas linked to health and social care would face a 15-year wait.
The Guardian noted that Rayner maintained her criticism particularly over the impact on care workers, saying that people who moved their lives to the United Kingdom to care for vulnerable sectors would be harmed.
Rayner’s objections add to those from other Labour sectors. BBC Mundo indicated that MP Rachael Maskell called for the approach to be reviewed and questioned the proposal both technically and morally. It also reported that unions have been pressing for the government to soften the changes.
On the scope of internal resistance, The Guardian reported that more than 100 Labour MPs reject the reform and that Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering exempting those who have already moved to the country.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy rejected describing the plan as “anti-British,” but, according to BBC Mundo, said the government will not change the rules in a way that unfairly harms migrants who have contributed to the country. She also left open the possibility of modifying the proposal if they consider it necessary.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government will set its new residency policy before the end of the year and that it will also then resolve any transitional provisions, according to BBC Mundo.
Sources
About this note. Written by El Notero with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on what was published by the cited outlet. El Notero did not conduct its own reporting on this event.
