Sadiq Khan has slammed Reform UK proposals to end the rights of migrants to apply for permanent British residency after five years and restrict their access to benefits.
The Mayor of London described the move as "unacceptable" and said it would impact "thousands" of people living in the capital who are "contributing hugely to our city".
Nigel Farage today announced that his party would abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR), for which migrants can currently apply after five years, and force them to renew their visas instead.
Immigrants would also not have access to the welfare state under a Reform government, the party leader said on Monday.
Sir Sadiq said: “Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain.
“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.”
During a press conference in London on Monday morning, Mr Farage said Reform UK will make "massive cuts" to welfare spending, under its new plans to ban access to benefits to migrants and get rid of indefinite leave to remain.
He responded to the Mayor of London’s comments by saying his party would “do battle” with Sir Sadiq at the local elections in the city next May.
“What about the [immigrants] that have never worked, and never will work,” Mr Farage added.
“What about having an honest debate about those we’ve let into this country, many ofwhom are great people, fine, we understand that, but too many of whom are not.
“We have totally misunderstood what a work permit, what a work visa is, it's been a back door to full time settlement.”
He referred to the numbers of migrants who came when Boris Johnson was prime minister, saying the figures represented the "greatest betrayal of democratic wishes certainly in anyone's living memory".
"Far too many that have come don't work, have never worked and never will work," Mr Farage said.
"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."
He added: "In particular what we're focusing on this morning is the 'Boris wave'. The Boris wave, after his huge victory in 2019.
"And I think the millions that came in the years of his premiership, represents the greatest betrayal of democratic wishes certainly in anyone's living memory.
"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."
