# Shabana Mahmood has caved to her party’s worst instincts on immigration

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/shabana-mahmood-has-caved-to-her-partys-worst-instincts-on-immigration/
- Published: 2026-11-04T10:07:51+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T17:38:08+00:00
- Original publisher: City AM (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.cityam.com/shabana-mahmood-has-caved-to-her-partys-worst-instincts-on-immigration/
- Topics: Business, Government, Politics

## Key points

- Mahmood’s revised plan keeps a five-year settlement route for eligible care workers.
- The author argues the change could raise public costs.
- The article calls for stronger domestic recruitment and care-sector reform.

## Summary

The article argues that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has weakened her proposed settlement reforms for migrant care workers, a change the author says will increase public spending and deepen concerns about immigration policy. It presents the reversal as a missed opportunity to address reliance on overseas recruitment and improve the appeal of care work to people already in the UK.

Under the revised plans, care workers earning at least £25,000 a year who entered the UK before May 2025 can qualify for indefinite leave to remain after five years; the author says this spares 282,000 migrants from waiting longer. The article notes that ILR can bring access to public funds and certain welfare benefits, as well as unrestricted work rights and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge. It also raises concerns about pay, training, working conditions and English proficiency in the care sector, while advocating phasing out care visas.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.