Keir Starmer strongly criticized Reform UK’s proposal to eliminate the primary pathway to citizenship for individuals who arrived in the UK legally.
The Labour leader denounced Nigel Farage’s initiative to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR), warning that it would deeply divide the nation. Starmer emphasized the importance of denouncing such policies and directly confronted Reform UK.
Describing the plan as racist and immoral, Starmer highlighted the detrimental impact it could have on law-abiding residents. He emphasized the need to differentiate between removing illegal migrants and targeting lawfully settled individuals, who are integral members of society.
Reform UK recently announced its intention to scrap ILR if elected, potentially jeopardizing the status of hundreds of thousands of legally settled individuals in the UK. Farage estimated that around 800,000 individuals who arrived between 2020 and 2024 could be affected by this policy change.
Under Boris Johnson’s administration, there was a notable increase in legal migration, particularly among non-EU citizens. However, stricter migration regulations implemented last year led to a significant decline in migration figures.
Health worker unions expressed concerns that the proposed policy could strain the NHS and care sector, given the substantial number of overseas staff currently employed. Approximately one-fifth of NHS workers are recruited internationally, with 311,000 out of 1.5 million employees holding non-British nationalities.
Reform UK’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, defended the party’s stance, arguing that their plan aims to prioritize British nationals in accessing welfare benefits and ensure that migrants actively contribute to society.
Overall, the debate surrounding Reform UK’s proposal has sparked controversy and raised questions about the future of immigration policies in the UK.
