LONDON - Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has abandoned plans to grant settlement status to migrant care workers in the UK, reversing earlier proposals that would have given eligible migrants indefinite leave to remain. The decision follows warnings from MPs that some migrants would face retrospective rule changes requiring them to wait a decade before gaining leave to remain.
The Guardian reported that Mahmood had rowed back on what were described as hardline plans for migrant care workers. The home secretary had warned MPs that some migrants would still face retrospective rule changes to make them wait a decade before being granted leave to remain, the paper said.
Settlement status, also known as ILR, gives a person the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as they like and apply for benefits if they are eligible. ILR holders can also use settlement to apply for British citizenship.
The policy reversal came after media coverage and parliamentary scrutiny highlighted the potential impact of the proposed changes. Newspaper headlines covered the development as either a 'duty of care' or 'climbdown,' reflecting the mixed reception to the u-turn.
The decision represents a significant shift in immigration policy affecting the care sector and underscores the challenges of reforming migration rules retrospectively.
