Nigel Farage has unveiled a plan to tighten regulations on migrants’ rights and benefits claims. The leader of Reform UK proposed eliminating indefinite leave to remain if his party, currently with 5 MPs, comes into power.
Farage highlighted that hundreds of thousands of migrants who arrived in the UK under the relaxed post-Brexit rules introduced by Boris Johnson’s government would soon become eligible for permanent residency. Reform UK, referring to this influx as the “Boriswave,” estimated that between 2026 and 2030, approximately 800,000 new migrants would secure indefinite leave to remain. However, critics swiftly dismissed the plan as lacking a realistic basis just hours after its announcement.
Indefinite leave to remain serves as a key pathway to citizenship, requiring migrants to reside and work in the UK for at least five years. This status grants migrants the freedom to work, live, and study in the UK indefinitely and permits them to apply for citizenship and access specific benefits if eligible.
Reform UK intends to eliminate indefinite leave to remain and replace it with a system mandating migrants to apply for renewable visas lasting five years. The new visas will have higher salary thresholds, stricter English language requirements, and exclude beneficiaries from claiming benefits.
Mr. Farage clarified that there would be no retroactive changes to UK citizenship status, emphasizing that once granted, citizenship remains unchanged. He assured that legal citizens would not be affected by the proposed alterations.
According to Farage, the plan to abolish indefinite leave to remain and restrict migrants’ benefit entitlements is projected to save UK taxpayers over £230 billion. He emphasized that these changes would yield substantial savings, equivalent to four times the defense budget or double the education expenditure.
Despite assertions of significant savings, doubts arose regarding the accuracy of the figures presented. Mr. Farage defended the projected savings during a press conference without providing concrete evidence to support the claim.
Reform UK’s policy chief mentioned that the salary threshold for the new visas would differ significantly but refrained from disclosing specific details, indicating that further information would be available closer to the upcoming general election.
The proposed changes raise questions about essential services like the NHS and the care sector, heavily reliant on migrant workers. The party’s policy head suggested that care workers would fall under a distinct visa category aimed at addressing acute skills shortages. However, details regarding the visa cap and the financial implications for employers were not elaborated upon.