Nigel Farage has been warned his controversial plans to introduce stricter rules for legal migrants will spark “tear families apart”.
The Reform UK leader says he wants to abolish indefinite leave to remain after five years and force applicants to renew their visa every five years.
The party said the proposals would “lead to hundreds of thousands of people having to apply and ultimately losing their settled status in the UK.”
But campaigners have branded the “Trump-style plan” as unconscionably cruel”.
“You only have to look to the US to see how this kind of policy can play out where masked gangs are abducting people in the street and tearing families apart,” Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, said.
“Reform’s Trump-style plan to deport thousands of people from the UK who have the legal right to be here, and who even may have been here for decades, would not only be economically devastating but unconscionably cruel.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the plans had no basis in reality, while the mayor of London Sadiq Khan called them unacceptable.
Key Points
- Farage's plan will 'tear families apart', campaigners warn
- Farage to vows to expel hundreds of thousands of legal migrants from UK
- Reform's cost savings figure under dispute
- Farage's plans have 'no basis in reality', Reeves says
- Sadiq Khan criticises Reform's 'unacceptable' migration plans
Pictured: Reform UK unveil migration plans at press conference
17:30 , Athena Stavrou
How does indefinite leave to remain currently work?
17:01 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s Albert Toth reports:
Indefinite leave to remain is how most migrants settle in the UK, wherever they come from. It gives them the right to live, work and study in the country permanently, as well as access benefits where eligible.
It also enables their family to migrate to the UK under certain conditions.
In most cases, ILR can be applied for after five years of living and working in the UK. Depending on visa type, the applicant may also need to meet certain salary or financial requirements.
For most workers, this will be at least £41,700 per year, or the “standard going rate” for the type of work you’ll be doing, which could be higher. After securing ILR, a person can generally apply for British citizenship after 12 months.
In May, Labour pledged to introduce tough new restrictions on ILR, meaning most applicants will need to be in the UK for 10 years before they can apply, as well as shortening the list of eligible jobs.
Will the ‘Boris wave’ sweep Farage to No 10?
16:43 , Athena StavrouBy laying blame for Britain’s immigration woes squarely on ex-PM Boris Johnson, the Reform leader is eliminating a rival and bolstering his own rise, writes Sean O’Grady:
Graph: People granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK
16:20 , Athena Stavrou
‘Britain is my home – but Farage’s new plan has me fearing for my future’
15:56 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s Alex Ross reports:
A research manager who moved from Brazil to the UK has said Nigel Farage’s plan to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) would make it impossible to plan a future in this country.
Brener Seixas, who works in London, pays taxes through his above-average salary while volunteering for a housing association cooperative in Lewisham. He also runs a Brazilian film festival, which takes place next month.
Despite having lived in the UK for four years, the 34-year-old, who is preparing to apply for ILR status in March, said Reform UK’s radical policy on immigrants had left him feeling insecure about his future.
He told The Independent: “The proposals to scrap ILR, and force people like me to reapply repeatedly for the right to stay, don’t just change the rules on paper – they make me feel like a guest who can be asked to leave at any time, no matter how much I’ve invested in this country.”
How Nigel Farage’s plan to scrap indefinite leave to remain could put thousands at risk of deportation
15:39 , Athena Stavrou
How Farage’s plan for legal migration could put thousands at risk of deportation
Threatening nursing staff abhorrent beyond words, says union
15:25 , Jane DaltonThe Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says Nigel Farage's immigration plan is "abhorrent beyond words".
General secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said: "Threatening to sack thousands of migrant nursing staff is abhorrent beyond words. These are people who have come to the UK to care for patients and become part of our communities. They deserve so much better than this.
“The policy of retrospectively removing people’s rights in this way would be unprecedented, leaving migrant nursing staff unable to work or access welfare, despite having paid tax.
“It shows neither compassion nor an understanding of the fundamental role our brilliant migrant nursing staff play in health and care.
“Without them, services would simply cease to function.”
Farage policy would break up families, says Labour
15:01 , Jane DaltonLabour chairwoman Anna Turley said the Reform UK leader was unable to say how many families his policy would break up.
She said: "Nigel Farage's not-even-half-baked plan is unfunded, unworkable and falling apart in real time.
"Reform have been forced to admit that their policy does not apply to people from the EU - destroying Farage's claims that it covers all foreign-born nationals.
"Farage is unable to say how many families his policy would break up, what the cost to businesses would be, what would happen to pensioners and how long it would take to implement - basic questions that any serious political party would know the answers to before making an announcement like this.”
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14:45 , Jane Dalton
Labour’s approach to climate crisis ‘full of contradictions’, says Polanski
Tories accuse Farage of lifting their policies
14:31 , Jane DaltonThe Conservatives, who have already put forward amendments to the indefinite leave to remain (ILR) rules, accused Reform UK of lifting its policies but removing necessary details.
Chris Philp MP, shadow home secretary, said: “Reform UK are once again copying Conservative ideas, but in a way that is half-baked and unworkable. They lift our policies but strip away the detail that makes them enforceable.
“Mass low-skill migration carries real fiscal costs – in housing, welfare, and public services – which is why Britain needs a system that rewards contribution and stops abuse.”
He said the Tories would double the residency requirement to 10 years, make ILR conditional on genuine economic contribution, block ILR for anyone with a criminal record and ensure there is no access to benefits pre-ILR.
Kemi Badenoch flagged up her policies earlier this year:
Tories pledge to expel low-paid and unemployed migrants from UK
Numbers granted indefinite leave to remain in UK
14:25 , Jane DaltonReform plans branded 'unworkable stunt based on dodgy maths'
14:14 , Athena StavrouCharities have branded Reform UK’s new legal migration proposals as an “unworkable stunt based on dodgy maths”.
"These proposals would tank our already-struggling economy, by disrupting the lives of millions of people who’ve been living and working legally in the UK for many years,” Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, head of advocacy at charity Praxis, said.
“As is becoming the norm with Reform, these proposals are nothing but an unworkable stunt based on dodgy maths.
“But let’s be clear what this boils down to: Reform do not want foreigners here. Indefinite Leave to Remain is crucial: it enables people to put down roots in their communities and fulfil their potential, and brings them a step closer to gaining British citizenship.
“We need to make pathways to settlement faster and more affordable so that people can get on with their lives."
Reform 'focus on Boris-wave' as Farage launches fresh attack on ex-PM
13:58 , Athena StavrouEd Davey refuses to rule out Lib Dem-Labour coalition as both parties look to halt Reform’s march
13:45 , Athena Stavrou
Ed Davey refuses to rule out Lib Dem-Labour coalition in bid to halt Reform’s march
Farage's plan will 'tear families apart', campaigners warn
13:30 , Athena StavrouCampaigners have branded Nigel Farage’s plans to scrap introduce stricter rules for legal migrants a “Trump-style plan” that will “tear families apart”.
“You only have to look to the US to see how this kind of policy can play out where masked gangs are abducting people in the street and tearing families apart,” Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, said.
“Reform’s Trump-style plan to deport thousands of people from the UK who have the legal right to be here, and who even may have been here for decades, would not only be economically devastating but unconscionably cruel.”
What are Reform's plans?
13:16 , Athena StavrouNigel Farage has said Reform UK would end the right of migrants to apply for permanent residency in the UK after five years, and force those who already have settled status to reapply for a new stricter visa.
The Reform UK leader wants to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and force them to renew their visa every five years.
They would have to have lived in the UK for seven years - up from five - and there would be tighter restrictions on bringing spouses and children to the UK.
Applicants would have to meet certain criteria, including a higher salary threshold and better standard of English.
The new visa would also prevent any access to benefits under the plans set out by Zia Yusuf.
Mr Yusuf said the proposals would “lead to hundreds of thousands of people having to apply and ultimately losing their settled status in the UK, which will be done on a staggered and orderly basis to allow businesses to train British workers to replace them”.
Starmer: Reform's plan is to 'foster division'
13:07 , Athena StavrouSir Keir Starmer’s political spokeswoman said Reform UK had no interest in tackling the issues facing the country but just sought to “foster division”.
The prime minister’s press secretary said: “Every week Nigel Farage sets out unrealistic, unworkable and unfunded plans.
“You’ve hear the Prime Minister talk about the politics of grievance that Reform thrives on.
“They don’t want to tackle the issues facing the country, they want to foster division.”
She said Sir Keir believes the country is at a crossroads between “national renewal” and “the path of division and decline which Reform wants to put the country on”.
Reform's cost savings figure under dispute
12:49 , Athena StavrouReform UK’s claim that their new migration plans would save the UK taxpayer over £230 billion has been called into question.
The figure has come from a Centre for Policy Studies report, which now has a note saying the overall cost estimates published in it “should no longer be used”.
However, at a press conference on Monday, Nigel Farage said he believed the figure was actually higher.
Mr Farage also repeatedly claimed that more than half of those who came to the country after Boris Johnson became prime minister do not work.
But asked for the source of the figure, he told a journalist to ask the British government instead.
Farage dodges question on Hong Kongers and Ukrainians
12:35 , Athena StavrouNigel Farage was asked directly whether his plan to revoke indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from hundreds of thousands would hit Hong Kongers and Ukrainians, but refused to answer the question.
He ignored the substance of the question and instead repeated that “800,000 people are due to qualify for indefinite leave to remain over the course of the next few years”.
“This press conference is to say none of them will get it,” he added.
Unclear £234bn savings “over a lifetime”
12:19 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s data correspondent Alicja Hagopian reports:
Reform has claimed that its mass deportation plan would save £234bn, but the few details given make it hard to stack up the numbers.
The alleged savings would be “over the lifetime of the average migrant”. There is no further breakdown, but the average lifespan in the UK is currently around 80 years old.
In this case, then the proposed savings would be less than £3bn a year (£2.9bn) on average — a far more modest number than what Reform are brandishing.
The average age of people migrating to the UK is around 25 years old, and current rules mean people have to wait five years before being eligible for indefinite leave to remain.
But even if over a 50-year lifespan in the UK, the alleged savings would still be just £4.7bn a year on average; without even considering the economic benefits of the migrant workforce.
Plans branded 'morally wrong' by think-tank
12:00 , Athena StavrouNigel Farage’s plans to abolish indefinite leave to remain has been slammed as “morally wrong”.
Sunder Katwala, Director of the thinktank British Future, said: “Threatening to revoke the settled status of millions who already have indefinite leave is morally wrong, beyond the legal and practical chaos it would cause — it undermines the very idea of belonging in this country.”
He said the proposal will create uncertainty for people who have “already built their lives here” from across he world.
He added it is “unfair and must be resolved with urgency”.
“The government needs to speed up its own consultations on citizenship reforms to reduce that anxiety,” Mr Katwala said.
“It should immediately make clear that it rejects in principle and practice Reform's proposals to remove and unsettle the status and rights of people who hold settled status now.”
Farage's plans have 'no basis in reality', Reeves says
11:49 , Athena StavrouChancellor Rachel Reeves has said claims made by Reform UK about the money their immigration plan would save “have already begun to disassemble”, and “have no basis in reality”.
Asked about Reform’s claim that they could save £234 billion over several decades, the Chancellor said: “The numbers that Reform have come out with overnight have already begun to disassemble.”
She added: “It is a difficult challenge, I think everybody can see that, but simple gimmicks like those put forward by Reform that have no basis in reality and where the numbers just fall apart – that’s not the way to tackle a very serious issue, and this Labour Government are getting on and doing that.”
Businesses face higher costs under new plans, Reform admits
11:45 , Athena StavrouBusinesses would have to pay higher wages as a result of its immigration policy, Reform UK has said.
Responding to a question from ITV News, Nigel Farage said workers could expect a pay rise if it went ahead under a Reform government.
He said: “I do repeat the point that mass, unskilled migration has driven in many, many cases, the minimum wage to become the maximum wage. Under our proposals, would pay go up, yes it would go up a bit, and I think that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Would our proposals help train British people for jobs? It would.”
The party’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf, said: “If we’re serious about saying we’re going to cut net immigration to zero, we’re going to embark on deporting people who are here illegally, we are going to stop the abuse of our welfare system, yes there will be some businesses who do have to pay more for that labour.”
Watch: Welfare benefits for UK citizens only under Reform, Farage says
11:37 , Athena StavrouYusuf picks out Afghans, Pakistanis and Indians over immigration
11:28 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Zia Yusuf has picked out Afghans, Pakistanis and Indians specifically as he criticised those applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK.
The Reform policy chief said: “Do you think French people and Swedish people and Finns are more or less likely to apply for ILR and ultimately citizenship in this country than people from India, Afghanistan or Pakistan?
“I think we all know the answer to that question.”
Sadiq Khan criticises Reform's 'unacceptable' migration plans
11:22 , Athena StavrouSir Sadiq Khan has criticised Reform UK’s new plans to cut legal migration.
“Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain,” the Mayor of London 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.”
Farage vows Welfare for British citizens only
11:15 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Reform UK will limit welfare payments to British citizens if it wins the next general election, Nigel Farage has said.
He said taxpayers are being “absolutely hammered” paying benefits to people who are not British citizens.
And he said: “Under a Reform government, welfare will be for UK citizens only. It will not be for foreign born nationals.”
He added: “We are not the world's food bank. It is not for us to provide welfare for people coming in from all over the world.”
Zia Yusuf: The biggest Tory betrayal not yet 'exploded'
11:14 , Athena StavrouZia Yusuf is now speaking at Reform UK’s press conference, outlining the party’s new migration pledges.
He began with attacking the previous Tory government, and said: “Britain is facing a looming fiscal disaster.
“The biggest betrayal the Tory government inflicted on this country has not yet exploded.
“That is the Boris wave.”
‘We are focused on the Boris-wave,’ Reform vows
11:10 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Nigel Farage has ramped up his attacks on Boris Johnson, attacking the former prime minister for allowing hundreds of thousands of non-EU migrants to come to the UK after the 2019 general election.
The Reform leader said: “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.”
He said it was “not what Brexit voters wanted, and it is certainly not what any Conservative voter wanted”.
Setting out the policy, he said: “We will not only say that these people do not qualify for indefinite leave to remain, we will abolish indefinite leave to remain as a category in this country.”
‘We need to talk about legal migration,’ Farage says
11:08 , Athena StavrouThe Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Nigel Farage has said there has been “too little debate about legal immigration” and “too little debate about the consequences”.
The Reform UK leader has said he has asked questions for 20 years about “the sheer number of people coming into this country”.
“But I've been told for 20 years to shut up and go away, because it's good for the economy,” he added.
Mr Farage is outlining Reform’s plans to deport hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants by ending their indefinite leave to remain (ILR) status.
He says it will help Reform massively clamp down on Britain’s benefit bill, saving taxpayers hundreds of billions of pounds.
Farage: Too little debate on legal immigration
11:07 , Athena StavrouNigel Farage has begun speaking at Reform UK’s press conference.
He began by saying that the public is “focused on illegal immigration because of scale of it”.
He added that there has been “too little debate about legal immigration”, as he began unveiling the party’s plan to introduce stricter visa rules.
Watch live: Reform UK press conference
11:02 , Athena StavrouPress conference to begin shortly
10:55 , Athena StavrouReform UK are due to begin a press conference shortly.
Nigel Farage will set out the party’s new controversial migration pledges at 11am.
We will bring you the latest updates here.
Farage's plan 'already fallen apart', say Labour
10:29 , Athena StavrouNigel Farage’s new migration pledges have been criticised as being “half baked”.
Cost-saving figures used by Reform UK have since been disowned by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) think tank that published them, prompting opposition to criticise the party’s plans.
A Labour source said: “Farage’s not even half-baked announcement has already fallen apart. Yet again, Reform have no credible plan and their only answer is ‘don’t know’.”
Davey declines to rule out coalition with Starmer to beat Reform UK
10:08 , Athena StavrouSir Ed Davey has declined to say whether he would join a coalition with Labour after the next election if it meant preventing a Reform UK government.
The party leader has said during the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth that he believes there is a moral duty to keep Nigel Farage’s party out of government.
But asked repeatedly by the BBC whether this meant he would consider entering into a coalition with Sir Keir Starmer’s party, the Lib Dem leader did not give a clear answer.
Asked whether he would rule out a coalition, he said: “What I want to do is make sure we have as many Liberal Democrat seats and Liberal Democrat votes at the next election.
“And by the way, we’re on track because we got our best result for over 100 years.”
Watch: Starmer confirms first one in, one out migrant flight has taken off from UK to France
09:56 , Athena StavrouPress conference at 11am
09:40 , Athena StavrouNigel Farage is expected to hold a press conference this morning.
The Reform UK leader will speak about the party’s new migration pledges at 11am.
We will bring you the latest updates here.
Cost savings figure under dispute
09:14 , Athena StavrouZia Yusuf has claimed Reform UK’s new migration plans would save the UK taxpayer over £230 billion.
However, the figure has come from a Centre for Policy Studies report, which is under dispute.
A note on the report says overall cost estimates published in it “should no longer be used”.
Reform claim new policy in response to 'Boriswave'
08:52 , Athena StavrouAs they unveiled their new pledge, Reform UK’s policy chief wrote in The Telegraph that it was partially in response to what they branded the “Boriswave”.
They said hundreds of thousands of migrants who came to the UK under more relaxed post-Brexit rules introduced by Boris Johnson’s will in January begin to qualify for permanent residence.
Mr Farage will reportedly tell a Monday press conference: “Welfare will end for everyone that is not a UK citizen, we will close the loopholes. Reform will ensure that welfare is for UK citizens only.
“We are cleaning up the mess of Boris Johnson. The Boriswave will bankrupt us.
“Reform will deal with Boriswave, the biggest betrayal of voters’ trust in modern times.”
Full story: Farage vows to axe indefinite leave to remain and ban migrants’ benefits access
08:48 , Athena Stavrou
Farage vows to axe indefinite leave to remain and ban migrants’ benefits access
Government response to Reform UK pledge
08:46 , Athena StavrouIn response to Reform UK’s plans, a government spokesperson said: “People here illegally rightly do not get anything from our benefits system.
“Foreign nationals usually have to wait five years to claim universal credit and we’re looking at increasing this to 10 years.
“We inherited a broken welfare system and spiralling benefits bill. That’s why we’re taking action and reforming the system and have seen the proportion of universal credit payments to foreign nationals fall since last July.”
What does Reform UK want to change?
08:44 , Athena StavrouThe Reform UK say they want to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR), for which legal migrants can currently apply after five years, and force them to renew their visa every five years.
Applicants would have to meet certain criteria, including a higher salary threshold and better standard of English.
They would have to have lived in the UK for seven years, up from five, and there would be tighter restrictions on bringing spouses and children to the UK.
The new visa would also prevent any access to benefits under the plans set out by Zia Yusuf.
Farage to vows to expel hundreds of thousands of legal migrants from UK
08:42 , Athena StavrouNigel Farage has said Reform UK would end the right of migrants to apply for permanent residency in the UK after five years, and force those who already have settled status to reapply for a new stricter visa.
The Reform UK leader wants to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR), for which migrants can currently apply after five years, and force them to renew their visa every five years.
Zia Yusuf said Reform’s proposals would “lead to hundreds of thousands of people having to apply and ultimately losing their settled status in the UK, which will be done on a staggered and orderly basis to allow businesses to train British workers to replace them”.
