Five truths on legal migration

Kemi Badenoch has laid out her first policy earlier this month, and it's a controversial one. The new proposal suggests the extension of the time it takes to get ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain/permanent residency) from five to 10 years, and add another five years beyond that to get British Citizenship. She also offers to bar legal migrants from benefits. If the Tories wins the next elections in 2029 and bring forward this new policy and make it law, how effective would it be and would this end up being a punishment for legal migrants as well as the UK?

Here are five truths that debunk common myths about legal migration and prove that this new policy not be as effective as advertised and end up being a disadvantage to the UK.

Immigrants have access and abuse benefits

False. When coming into the UK, most migrants fall under the “no recourse to public funds” visa category. Which means that most newcomers to the UK have no access to housing benefits, universal credit, childcare, jobseeker allowance etc. If married to a British citizen, the British spouse is also no longer entitled to some benefits due to their partner’s immigration status.

Immigrants have access to free healthcare

False. When applying to a UK visa (except visitor), most immigrants must pay what is called a healthcare surcharge. The cost of the surcharges for most visas is £1,035 per year. Most visas are issued within a five or 10-year route to ILR with mandatory renewal every 2,5 years. Which means the total cost for the surcharge on a five-year route would be £5,175 and for a 10-year-route: £10,350. On top of the surcharge, every migrant in paid work also has NI deducted from their salary.

It is too easy to get permanent residency (ILR) or British citizenship

False. The UK is one of the hardest countries to get into however, it does not have the lengthiest path to ILR and citizenship. In comparison, it takes 2.5 years to become a naturalised citizen of Singapore and hence have hold of the strongest passport on the Henley list (ranking of worldwide passports) with access to 193 visa-free countries. Count three years to get Polish or Canadian citizenship, four years to become a citizen of Australia and five years to become French or German. Austria and Lithuania require 10 years of permanent residency, Qatar demands 25 years and the highest number of years to become a naturalised citizen goes to the UAE with 30 years of permanent residency. The UK requires a continuous six years of living in the country (more if you came here as a student as time on a student visa doesn’t count towards continuous residence).

Immigrants take British people’s jobs

False. It has never been proven that immigration contributes towards the unemployment of a country.

The UK requires immigration to function

True. We depend on immigration to fill labour shortages across various sectors such as finance, hospitality, public maintenance, healthcare, social care and engineering mostly.

I would encourage everyone who knows somebody who came to the UK for studying, work or to join their spouse to ask questions and get a better understanding of what it means to them to be in the UK. For most, it is a choice to come here and bring their talent to contribute to the economy. Most understand the privilege it is to be in this country without having for purpose to grab an additional citizenship for the taking or “stealing” public funds through benefits.