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Shabana Mahmood has caved to her party’s worst instincts on immigration
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.
In short
- 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.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Allowing eligible care workers who arrived before May 2025 to qualify for settlement after five years recognises their contribution and avoids changing the terms after many have built their lives and careers in the UK. Secure status can give workers greater stability and freedom to change jobs, while helping care providers retain staff in a sector already reliant on overseas recruitment.
The case against
Keeping the earlier settlement route may increase access to public funds and reduce the government’s ability to limit long-term migration, so a longer qualifying period could be defended as a way to manage future costs and maintain public confidence in the system. The government could also argue that reliance on care visas should fall over time, alongside efforts to improve pay, training and conditions so more people already in the UK choose care work.