Kemi Badenoch, leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, has announced a major policy shift, proposing that immigrants must wait at least 15 years before becoming eligible for British citizenship as she seeks to tighten the immigration system in the UK.
In her first major announcement as Conservative leader, Badenoch revealed plans to tighten the immigration system, including extending the waiting period for migrants to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years.
The Tory leader also disclosed that those who claim benefits, access social housing, or have criminal records would be barred from settling in the UK permanently.
She said in part:
“I want to reduce immigration and make living here actually mean something. We need to change the way our immigration system works. So I am announcing that the conservative party is going to do the following things differently: 1. If you want to stay in our country permanently and apply for indefinite leave to remain, the time you have to live here before you apply would increase from 5 years to 10 years. 2. You will have to be a net contributor with a high enough salary, especially if you want to bring family members with you. And if you have a criminal record, you are banned.
“We would increase the time you can apply for a British passport from 12 months to 5 years, meaning it will take a minimum of 15 years to start an application. If you enter this country illegally or overstay your visa, you will be banned from ever getting leave to remain or a passport,” she said in a video shared on her X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday.”
Watch the video below..