Keir Starmer has been accused of being too scared of his Left-wing backbenchers to implement his own immigration crackdown on migrants rushing for citizenship.
Starmer accused of fearing Left-wing MPs (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of being too scared of his Left-wing backbenchers to implement his own immigration crackdown.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warning her not to water down her own proposals, branding it “shocking” that the measures were not included in the legislative programme.
Mr Philp said: “I can only conclude that the Government is too scared of its left-wing backbenchers to implement its own plans. Time is now of the essence, and the rules urgently need to be changed.”
He added: “Only very highly skilled migrants who have made a genuine contribution should be able to stay in this country. Low-skilled migrants will have to go home. The Conservative Party will support these changes as long as they are not watered down.”
His intervention comes as new Home Office figures reveal that hundreds of thousands of migrants are rushing to secure British citizenship ahead of incoming crackdowns.
Applications jumped nearly 20% in a single year from 263,440 to 312,063 in the year to March.
A further 331,000 applied for indefinite leave to remain – the prerequisite for citizenship – in the two years to March.
Dr Nuri Jorgensen of the Migration Observatory told the Telegraph that “one potential reason is the heavy publicity around Government and opposition plans to restrict permanent status and citizenship.”
Indians made up the largest group of applicants at 31,298, followed by Pakistanis at 23,423 and then Nigerians at 15,747.
Ms Mahmood had proposed doubling the wait for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years – unless migrants are high earners or work in public services – and barring them from claiming welfare until they had been granted British citizenship.
Mahmood’s immigration plans being watered down (Image: Getty)
But her efforts have been frustrated by a backbench rebellion of around 100 Labour MPs, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who has branded the changes “un-British”.
The Conservatives have called for tougher measures still, demanding that anyone granted indefinite leave to remain wait five years rather than one before applying for citizenship, and that anyone who entered Britain illegally be permanently barred from ever gaining settled status or citizenship.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The rise in citizenship applications reflects long-term migration trends, with more people now eligible after completing settlement routes. The Home Secretary has set out plans for the biggest legal migration reforms in a generation, tackling challenges created by unprecedented migration levels under the previous government.”
