More than 200,000 people have been granted the right to settle permanently in Britain since ministers proposed tightening immigration rules last year, intensifying pressure on the government to explain why its promised reforms have yet to materialise.
The figures have sharpened a political dispute over the scale of legal migration, access to public services and Labour’s willingness to confront divisions within its own ranks.
Without changes to the current system, about 1.6mn people could become eligible for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) between 2026 and 2030.
At least 5,000 people who have legally lived in the UK for five years are gaining settlement each week, according to figures cited in reports. The pace could accelerate in the coming months as people who arrived during the pandemic become eligible to apply.
ILR allows migrants to live and work in Britain without time restrictions and can provide a route to citizenship. Holders may also qualify for welfare support and other public services, subject to the relevant eligibility rules.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp accused Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood of failing to implement reforms that the government had itself presented as necessary. He argued that the delay was allowing more people to secure permanent residency under rules ministers intended to tighten.
Philp claimed the home secretary was reluctant to proceed because of opposition from Angela Rayner and Labour’s left wing. Those allegations reflect the Conservatives’ political assessment of Labour’s internal divisions, rather than an established explanation for the delay.
Reform UK has also seized on the dispute. Zia Yusuf, the party’s home affairs spokesman, accused Mahmood of yielding to internal pressure, arguing that the delay would leave more migrants eligible for permanent settlement and access to the welfare system.
The controversy exposes a difficult balancing act for Labour. Ministers have proposed making it harder for some foreign workers to obtain permanent residency, but Rayner has raised concerns about changes to visa rules and their potential consequences for workers who came to Britain legally.
The proposals have yet to be finalised. A Home Office consultation attracted 200,000 responses before closing in February, but the department has not published its response. Immigration rules updated last week made no reference to the ILR reforms.
The lack of a timetable has left employers, migrants and local authorities waiting for clarity over a system with significant implications for workforce planning, household finances and demand for public services.
The government’s own rationale for reform is also under scrutiny. Philp has claimed the changes are needed to save £10bn, but the material provided does not establish how that figure was calculated or how much could be saved under any final policy.
A Home Office spokesperson said the department was “considering responses to our consultation on elements of these reforms”.
That statement offers little indication of when ministers will decide whether to proceed, amend or abandon their plans.
For Labour, the stakes extend beyond immigration policy. Delaying reform risks accusations that ministers cannot deliver their own commitments; pressing ahead could deepen tensions with colleagues concerned about the treatment of legally admitted workers and the economic consequences of changing settlement rules.
With hundreds of thousands more people potentially eligible for permanent residency over the next four years, the government faces mounting pressure to turn its consultation into a clear decision. Until it does, the gap between its stated ambitions and its actions will remain an inviting target for its political opponents.
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