Nigel Farage is vowing to force hundreds of thousands of migrants out of the UK by scrapping ‘settled’ status rules.
The Reform leader condemned legal permanent settlement for foreign nationals as a ‘scam’, warning it is a ‘fiscal timebomb’ which could bankrupt the country.
Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) allows those who have lived here for more than five years to receive benefits and apply for citizenship.
Reform estimates 3.8million migrants who arrived after the pandemic will be eligible for ILR between 2026 and 2030, and claims many are either destined for a life on benefits or are low-skilled workers who will bring in dependants to join them.
Mr Farage suggested ending the status will save £234billion over their lifetimes. Speaking at a press conference in Westminster this morning, the MP said people needed to focus on legal migration as well as illegal migration.
‘Under a Reform government welfare will be for UK citizens only. Not foreign nationals,’ he said.
However, the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank – which originally made the estimate – has since withdrawn it.
Critics have also questioned the implications for the NHS of deporting migrants on lower salaries, who often work in the health sector.
Nigel Farage is vowing to force hundreds of thousands of migrants out of the UK by scrapping ‘settled’ status rules
Under Mr Farage’s plan, no new ILR awards would be made and migrants already allowed to live here under ILR – so-called settled status – would have it rescinded.
Mr Farage proposes that migrants living here would instead have to apply for a five-year renewable visa with stricter criteria, such as proving they can speak English and can earn a high salary, and would face restrictions on how many dependants could join them.
Those rejected would lose state benefits and be expected to leave voluntarily or face removal under the party’s tough plan for tackling illegal migration, known as Operation Restoring Justice.
Reform’s policy document states that the changes ‘will be done on a staggered and orderly basis to allow businesses to train British workers to replace them’. Reform said it is giving notice that ‘the era of cheap foreign labour is over’.
The qualifying period for citizenship – which is currently one year after being granted ‘settled status’ – would also be extended to prevent it being given ‘cheaply’.
Mr Farage said: ‘The Tories and Labour have turned the UK into a foodbank for the world.’
He told the press conference: ‘Far too many that have come don’t work, have never worked and never will work.
‘The ability to bring dependents of all kinds, and when you realise that most that come are very low skilled, and on very low wages, you start to get a very very different picture. In fact, you start to get a massive benefits bill.’
Pointing to the surge in legal immigration after Brexit, Mr Farage said: ‘This is not what Brexit voters wanted, and it’s certainly not what any Conservative voter wanted from 2010 onwards.
‘Where at an election, after an election, after an election, they were promised that net migration would come down to tens of thousands a year, and we learn it was up to – in the worst year – a million.’
Reform’s policy chief Zia Yusuf said there would be a specific ‘skill shortage’ class of visa, but it would be subject to an annual cap. Employers would also have to pay a levy on workers that would go towards training Brits to do the job in future.
The announcements drew an angry response from London mayor Sadiq Khan.
‘Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain,’ he said.
‘They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.
‘Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.’
In a statement today, the CPS today: ‘As part of announcing a package of policies on Indefinite Leave to Remain, Reform UK have alluded to research published by the Centre for Policy Studies in February of this year.
‘Part of the research calculated a ballpark figure for the financial cost of the hundreds of thousands of migrants who will soon be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
‘After the CPS’ report was published, the Office for Budget Responsibility revised their definitions of some of the fiscal data contained within our report, meaning that the overall cost estimates should no longer be used.
‘The CPS has been in communication with the OBR and other experts for clarity and will be publishing an updated estimate in due course.
‘The changes do not impact our analysis of the visa data or projections for the numbers likely to gain ILR on different visa routes.’
