The UK government plans to significantly increase payments offered to failed asylum seekers to encourage them to leave the country voluntarily. This initiative is part of a broader overhaul of the UK's settlement system, aiming to make it the most controlled and selective in Europe.
The proposed changes will extend the time required for migrants to gain permanent residency, with a new baseline of 10 years, up from the current five. Specific groups will face longer waiting periods for settlement.
Low-paid workers, such as those on health and social care visas, will need to wait 15 years. Migrants who rely on benefits will face a 20-year wait, and those who have entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas could wait up to 30 years.
Conversely, highly skilled professionals like doctors and nurses in the NHS will be able to settle in five years, and top earners or entrepreneurs could be fast-tracked for settlement in three years. The reforms also introduce new criteria for settlement, requiring applicants to have no criminal record, speak English to an A-level standard, have made sustained National Insurance contributions, and have no debt in the UK.
In addition, migrants might only become eligible for benefits and social housing after becoming British citizens, rather than upon receiving settlement status. These measures are being introduced due to concerns about record levels of migration and perceived abuse of the system.
