A Labour minister was forced to defend the party’s tougher stance on indefinite leave to remain in a Sky News grilling. Migration minister Mike Tapp was repeatedly asked if the Government’s plan to increase the amount of time migrants have to wait from five to 10 years would apply retrospectively.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer has branded Reform UK’s pledge to scrap indefinite leave to remain as “racist”. Asked if he was going to change the rules retrospectively, Mr Tapp said: This is going through a consultation.
Asked again, he went on: “What we’re saying is we’re moving it from five to 10 years and you have to earn your right to settlement.”
Pressed a third time, he added: “What we’re not saying is what Nigel Farage is saying is that if you have ILR now…”
Asked again, he said: “What we’re saying here is we’re extending from five to 10 years.”
Pressed a further time, Mr Tapp went on: “If you’re pre-five years then of course it’s going to apply to you once that comes in but it needs to go through consultation first.”
The pair then continued to argued over whether that means the change was applied retrospectively.
Mr Tapp said: “That’s not retrospectively because if they haven’t applied for settlement then it’s not retrospective.
“So what we’re saying is you need to earn your right to be here and we’re extending that from five to 10 years.”
Currently, most migrants who come to Britain on time-limited work visas can make an application for indefinite leave to remain after five years.
