Business news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Home Office consultation drew few British citizens, figures show
Official figures show that fewer than one in five respondents to a Home Office consultation on tougher rules for indefinite leave to remain were British citizens. The results have fuelled criticism from the Conservatives and a migration think tank, who argue that people affected by the proposed rules had a strong voice in shaping policy.
More than 200,000 people responded, including 73 per cent who were current visa holders; the Home Office said the 18 per cent who identified as British may include visa holders’ spouses or family members. Among respondents, 51 per cent identified as Asian or British Asian, 19 per cent as White, 12 per cent as Black or Black British, and three per cent as mixed or multiple ethnic groups. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised what he called a policy reversal and claimed it could allow hundreds of thousands of care workers to remain in the UK; the £10 billion cost and other claims in the article are attributed to him.
In short
- Fewer than one in five respondents identified as British.
- Current visa holders made up 73 per cent of replies.
- Conservatives criticised the policy response to the consultation.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Critics of the consultation’s representativeness argue that proposed settlement rules affect the public as well as visa holders, so a response pool dominated by people directly affected may not capture wider views about fairness, migration levels or public costs. They may also question whether the Government has adequately explained how it will weigh responses from different groups when deciding policy.
The case against
A high share of responses from current visa holders is unsurprising for a consultation on rules that directly affect their ability to remain in the UK, and their first-hand experience is relevant evidence for policymakers. The figures alone do not show that other views were excluded or that the process was unfair; British respondents may also include affected people’s family members, and the Government can consider wider evidence alongside consultation responses.
Explained simply
Indefinite leave to remain lets someone live and work in the UK without a time limit, and can be an important step towards settling permanently. The Home Office sets the rules, including how long people must live in the country and what conditions they must meet.
The consultation sought views on proposed tougher rules. Many respondents were people with visas who could be affected, while the Home Office said the British citizens who took part may have included their spouses or relatives. The results have prompted debate about whose views were represented and how consultation responses should inform immigration policy.
Business Elections Markets Politics UK World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Four in five people who took the Home Office’s immigration poll were NOT British, figures show”.