UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has insisted that migrants who enter Britain on temporary employment visas should not automatically qualify to remain in the country permanently, urging the Labour government to retain its proposal requiring a 10-year wait before migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
Badenoch made her position known on Monday in a post on X, where she also published a letter addressed to the UK Home Secretary. In the message, she criticised pressure from some Labour Members of Parliament seeking to dilute the government’s planned immigration reforms.
According to the Conservative leader, individuals granted temporary work visas should not assume they will eventually secure permanent residency simply by remaining in the country for a few years.
She argued that Labour’s original proposal to lengthen the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five years to 10 years was a step in the right direction and should not be abandoned. Badenoch added that the Conservative Party would support the government’s initial plan if it is presented to Parliament without changes.
The letter, co-signed by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, raised concerns over reports suggesting the government may exempt nearly two million migrants who arrived in the United Kingdom on work visas between 2021 and the present from the tougher residency requirements.
Badenoch described such an exemption as a serious policy error, maintaining that previous immigration arrangements had shown that allowing migrants to obtain permanent settlement after only five years was too generous.
She argued that extending the waiting period would help ensure that only migrants who make sustained and meaningful contributions to Britain’s economy are granted the right to remain indefinitely.
The Conservative leader further claimed that many positions currently occupied by low-paid migrant workers could instead be filled by unemployed or economically inactive British citizens if appropriate employment opportunities and incentives were provided.
According to her, migrants who spend a decade in low-income employment or fail to make what she considers a substantial economic contribution should leave the country once their temporary visas expire rather than transition to permanent residency.
Badenoch also warned that granting indefinite leave to remain after just five years increases long-term pressure on the country’s welfare system because successful applicants become eligible for state benefits and may later qualify for British citizenship.
She noted that once migrants obtain ILR, they gain access to a range of public support, while citizenship further limits the government’s ability to impose restrictions on welfare eligibility.
The Conservative leader argued that existing legislation, including the proposed Immigration and Asylum Bill, does not contain provisions allowing ministers to limit welfare benefits for people who have already secured indefinite leave to remain.
She rejected suggestions that extending the residency requirement would amount to changing the rules retrospectively, insisting that temporary work visas never guarantee permanent settlement.
According to Badenoch, governments have the authority to amend immigration rules whenever necessary, including for migrants already living in the country under temporary visa arrangements.
She stressed that introducing stricter conditions before granting permanent residency would be a legitimate policy decision rather than an unfair alteration of previous commitments.
Badenoch concluded by offering Labour cross-party support if it proceeds with its original immigration proposals without weakening them, saying the Conservatives would vote in favour despite believing even tougher measures are needed.
She argued that Labour’s final decision would demonstrate whether the governing party is genuinely committed to tightening immigration controls and strengthening the UK’s border system or prepared to retreat under political pressure.
