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TOI Correspondent from London: Conservatives have announced their first policy under new leader
Kemi Badenoch
: a massive clampdown on immigration if it returns to govt.
They plan to double from five to 10 years the length of time a person has to live in the UK before they can apply for ILR (indefinite leave to remain), and make them live in the UK a further five years (so a minimum of 15 years) before they can apply for British citizenship. Currently, citizenship can be applied for 12 months after ILR is obtained.
Toris will add rules to say those who have claimed benefits or relied on social housing while in Britain on work visas will not be allowed to apply for ILR. Those claiming ILR must also be able to demonstrate that their household would be a net contributor, with a high enough salary, especially if they want to bring dependants, and that they do not have a criminal record.
Tories also plan to ban anyone arriving in the UK illegally, or anyone who outstays their visa, from ever getting citizenship or ILR. Those on work and study visas who are in breach of their visas, or who have applied to lift the condition of "no recourse to public funds", will have their visas cancelled and be removed.
The changes will apply to Indians but not to those on the Ukraine and British National (Overseas) from Hong Kong schemes.
Tories will bring out new binding annual caps on visas which will be at a "much, much lower level than recent migration levels", it said. It was Tories who had lifted such caps in 2018.
The policy comes as Nigel Farage's Reform UK is now ahead of Labour and the Conservatives in the latest YouGov poll.
