UK minister does not confirm support for 15-year period — The Guardian

In the United Kingdom, Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh did not directly confirm her support for a plan to increase from five to 15 years the period after which foreign workers could apply for permanent residence. This has deepened divisions within the government over Shabana Mahmood's proposals, The Guardian reports.

Reform of the immigration system

In an interview with Sky News, Fahnbulleh said that the immigration system needed to be reformed and that changes should be based on the principles of compassion and recognition of people's contribution. She said she supported reforms under which people should contribute to the life of the country in order to gain citizenship, adding that she fully supported Mahmood in her work.

At the same time, the minister repeatedly avoided directly answering questions about the 15-year period. When she was told that she did not support this specific proposal, Fahnbulleh replied that she should not be attributed words she had not said.

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Criticism within the Labour Party

A few days earlier, a post about a meeting with the community appeared on the website of Fahnbulleh's Peckham constituency and was later deleted. In the original version of the post, she was attributed as saying that continually extending the waiting time for settlement could also lengthen the process of building cohesion.

Mahmood suggested that the proposal could be softened in order to avoid a Labour rebellion. She was previously publicly criticised by Housing Minister Angela Rayner, while dozens of Labour MPs oppose changes that are planned to be applied retrospectively to 2021.

Andy Burnham is considering not applying the new period to care workers. However, the Home Office believes this could cause foreign workers to leave the sector after the conditions of their visas expire. The government said it was considering responses to consultations on certain elements of the reform, under which the right to permanent residence should be earned rather than automatic.