London, September 2025 – Migrants in the UK will have to prove they are contributing to society if they want to settle permanently, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced at the Labour Party Conference.

Currently, migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after five years, giving them the right to live, study, and work in the UK. Under Labour’s new proposals, that period will double to 10 years, with stricter conditions attached.

New Settlement Rules Proposed

To qualify for ILR, legal migrants would need to:

• Learn English to a high standard
• Maintain a clean criminal record
• Make National Insurance contributions
• Avoid claiming benefits
• Volunteer or give back to their local community

Mahmood said these rules would ensure “contribution to this country is a condition of living here.” She hinted that some skilled migrants or those making significant contributions could still qualify earlier.

Political Context

Labour framed the policy as a middle ground between openness and control:

• Labour’s stance: Migrants are welcome if they integrate and contribute.
• Reform UK’s stance: Abolish ILR altogether and replace it with visas renewed every five years, even for long-term residents.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer: Called Reform’s approach “racist and immoral.”
• Reform UK’s Nigel Farage: Accused Labour of being weak on border controls.

The policy highlights Labour’s strategy to counter Reform UK, which is gaining in national opinion polls.

Mahmood’s Personal Touch

In her first major speech as Home Secretary, Mahmood shared her family’s migrant story and her own childhood experience of helping in her parents’ corner shop. She recalled keeping a cricket bat under the counter to protect against shoplifters, linking it to her pledge of a “winter of action” crackdown on theft, with police and local businesses working together.

Her message: Britain must remain open, tolerant, and generous, but only if migration works for ordinary people.

Key Takeaways

• Settlement period for migrants to be doubled: 5 → 10 years
• Must prove integration through work, language, and community service
• Labour seeks balance between welcoming migrants and securing borders
• Heated political clash with Reform UK, who want much tougher rules