Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf has warned that Labour is preparing to abandon its proposed reforms to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), arguing that the retreat could push Britain towards “Boriswave bankruptcy”.
The Home Office had proposed extending the standard qualifying period for permanent settlement from five years to 10. But according to The Times, Labour is considering allowing up to 1.6 million immigrants who arrived from 2021 onwards to retain the shorter route.
“Labour is about to U-turn on ILR reforms and accelerate Britain’s Boriswave bankruptcy”, Yusuf said.
He described the surge in immigration from outside the EU under the Conservatives as “one of the most appalling acts of vandalism ever inflicted on the British people by its own government”.
“The Tories imported millions of unskilled migrants from third world countries in the blink of an eye”, he said. “Half of them do not work and never will.”
Yusuf warned that the long-term fiscal consequences would be catastrophic.
“This Boriswave will cost the taxpayer £622 billion over their lifetimes”, he said. “That’s £20,000 for every household in Britain.”
He argued that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had been given an opportunity to “at least unwind some of this vandalism” by making immigrants wait 10 years before qualifying for ILR.
“She knows the cost of failing to act could be the bankruptcy of Britain”, Yusuf said.
But he accused Mahmood of putting her political ambitions before the national interest, describing her as “nothing more than a subversive career politician willing to sacrifice the British people’s future for her own political future”.
Yusuf claimed that Andy Burnham had “handed the reins of power to Labour backbench MPs”, who oppose applying the tougher rules to immigrants already in Britain.
“These people want open borders as they see every unskilled migrant as a future voter”, he explained.
“I want to be crystal clear. Many Labour MPs are simply too dense to know what they are doing. That’s why most have never done anything other than Labour politics in their life.”
He added that Mahmood was “knowingly selling out her country” out of “naked ambition”.
Rather than merely extending the qualifying period for permanent settlement, Reform UK would abolish ILR altogether and withdraw ILR from those who already have it. Reform UK would replace permanent settlement with five-year renewable visas subject to higher salary thresholds, mandatory English fluency and stricter requirements for good character. Foreign nationals would no longer be eligible for benefits, while visas for jobs facing genuine labour shortages would be tightly capped and reserved for genuinely critical gaps in the workforce.
Yusuf concluded: “A Reform government will not allow this vandalism to bankrupt Britain. We will reverse the Boriswave.”
The Home Office had proposed extending the standard qualifying period for permanent settlement from five years to 10. But according to The Times, Labour is considering allowing up to 1.6 million immigrants who arrived from 2021 onwards to retain the shorter route.
“Labour is about to U-turn on ILR reforms and accelerate Britain’s Boriswave bankruptcy”, Yusuf said.
He described the surge in immigration from outside the EU under the Conservatives as “one of the most appalling acts of vandalism ever inflicted on the British people by its own government”.
“The Tories imported millions of unskilled migrants from third world countries in the blink of an eye”, he said. “Half of them do not work and never will.”
Yusuf warned that the long-term fiscal consequences would be catastrophic.
“This Boriswave will cost the taxpayer £622 billion over their lifetimes”, he said. “That’s £20,000 for every household in Britain.”
He argued that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had been given an opportunity to “at least unwind some of this vandalism” by making immigrants wait 10 years before qualifying for ILR.
“She knows the cost of failing to act could be the bankruptcy of Britain”, Yusuf said.
But he accused Mahmood of putting her political ambitions before the national interest, describing her as “nothing more than a subversive career politician willing to sacrifice the British people’s future for her own political future”.
Yusuf claimed that Andy Burnham had “handed the reins of power to Labour backbench MPs”, who oppose applying the tougher rules to immigrants already in Britain.
“These people want open borders as they see every unskilled migrant as a future voter”, he explained.
“I want to be crystal clear. Many Labour MPs are simply too dense to know what they are doing. That’s why most have never done anything other than Labour politics in their life.”
He added that Mahmood was “knowingly selling out her country” out of “naked ambition”.
Rather than merely extending the qualifying period for permanent settlement, Reform UK would abolish ILR altogether and withdraw ILR from those who already have it. Reform UK would replace permanent settlement with five-year renewable visas subject to higher salary thresholds, mandatory English fluency and stricter requirements for good character. Foreign nationals would no longer be eligible for benefits, while visas for jobs facing genuine labour shortages would be tightly capped and reserved for genuinely critical gaps in the workforce.
Yusuf concluded: “A Reform government will not allow this vandalism to bankrupt Britain. We will reverse the Boriswave.”
