Migrants to UK will need to become citizens before receiving benefits, government proposes
Government plans delay access to welfare and settlement for hundreds of thousands of newcomers.
WHAT is the plan?
The Labour government has proposed a sweeping overhaul of immigration rules that would make migrants eligible for benefits and social housing only once they become British citizens.
The package increases settlement waiting times for most groups and pushes irregular arrivals, including small-boat migrants, into waits of up to 30 years.
WHERE will it apply?
The plans will apply across the UK.
Their impact will be felt primarily in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland’s labour-intensive sectors — especially health and social care, where more than 600,000 recent arrivals work.
WHEN will it be official?
The proposals are now subject to consultation until 12 February 2026. If implemented, the changes will form part of the government’s broader immigration reforms already outlined in its May white paper.
Because the government has not published an implementation date, the rules cannot take effect until after the consultation closes, followed by the drafting and passage of the required secondary legislation.
In practice, that means the new system would apply no earlier than mid-2026, and possibly later, depending on parliamentary scheduling and administrative capacity.
WHO is behind the plan & WHO will be affected?
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is driving the reforms.
The Blue Labour politician explained that “migration will always be a vital part of Britain’s story. But the scale of arrivals in recent years has been unprecedented.
“To settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege. And it must be earned.
“I am replacing a broken immigration system with one that prioritises contribution, integration and respect for the British sense of fair play.”
Those most affected include healthcare visa holders, low-income migrant workers, irregular entrants and families at risk of “mixed-status” residency.
Charities, trade unions and NGOs, including the Refugee Council, Unison, Work Rights Centre and Praxis, have publicly criticised the plans.
WHY these new rules?
The government argues the system must adapt to what Mahmood described as “an unprecedented scale of arrivals in recent years”. She told MPs: “To settle in this country for ever is not a right, but a privilege. And it must be earned.”
Labour also faces pressure from Reform UK in the polls, intensifying political demands to be seen tightening migration controls.
HOW will the plan work?
The reforms introduce a contribution-based settlement model. Migrants can shorten waits by volunteering, demonstrating high English proficiency and avoiding benefit claims.
Charities warn this will create “very expensive bureaucracy” and “three decades of instability”, citing the risk of families split between temporary and permanent statuses.
Migrants will face sharply tiered waiting periods under the proposed rules. High earners and entrepreneurs would secure settlement after three years, while NHS doctors and nurses would qualify after five years. Most standard arrivals would wait a decade, double the current five-year route. Health and care workers who have claimed benefits for 12 months or more would see their route extended to 25 years. The most severe delays fall on irregular entrants, including people arriving by small boat or hidden in lorries, who would face a 30-year wait before they can apply for permanent status.
The Home Office explains that “transitional arrangements for those already in the UK will be set out following a consultation. However, the intention is that anyone yet to be granted settlement would be subject to the contribution-based model once the new rules are in force.”
Rachel Reeves is expected to reinforce the crackdown in next week’s Budget with funding for new investigators targeting illegal employment in small businesses.
GOING FURTHER
Biggest overhaul of legal migration model in 50 years announced | HOME OFFICE
Some migrants to face 20 year wait for settled status | BBC NEWS
Migrant worker plans put public services at risk, says UNISON | UNISON
DWP is stopping payments for one group of people for 30 years | BIRMINGHAM LIVE
Labour slumps to record low in polls while Reform and Greens surge | THE INDEPENDENT
Home secretary announces plans to overhaul legal migration policy | ITV NEWS
Mahmood to ban migrants without citizenship from claiming benefits in latest asylum crackdown | THE INDEPENDENT
Wes Streeting defends asylum system shake-up despite his unease | THE GUARDIAN
The Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP | GOV UK
Paying failed asylum seekers to leave is value for money, says Mahmood | BBC NEWS
From New Labour to Blue Labour – is Shabana Mahmood now the true heir to Blair? | THE INDEPENDENT
Sources:
▪ This piece was first published in Europeans TODAY on 21 November 2025.
▪ Cover: Flickr/House of Commons. (Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.)
