UK Home Secretary Announces New Rules on Settlement for Foreign Workers
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UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has outlined the final version of her plans to change settlement rules for foreign workers.
Under the new rules, foreign workers will have to wait longer before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which allows someone to live in the UK without a time limit.
Mahmood presented the details as part of the government's wider approach to migration policy.
The changes are expected to affect many foreign workers, including care workers, who form a large part of the UK's health and social care system.
Many care workers in the UK come from abroad, and some have raised concerns about how longer waiting times could affect their lives and plans.
The government argues that the new rules are needed to manage migration more carefully, though critics say they could create extra hardship for workers already contributing to UK services.
The announcement came on the same day as another political story making headlines: Downing Street declined to say how much it cost for a plane carrying Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and UK delegates to stop in Manchester.
The plane was travelling to a Commonwealth leaders' summit, picking up Burnham along the way.
Journalists asked about the cost of the detour, but the government has not given an answer.
Both stories were part of a busy day in UK politics, covered live by reporters following developments as they happened.
Mahmood's settlement announcement is likely to remain a major topic of debate in the coming weeks, as more details of the policy are expected to be discussed in parliament.
Vocabulary5 words
- settlement
- the right to live in a country permanently
- indefinite leave to remain
- permission to stay in a country with no time limit
- migration
- the movement of people to live in a new country
- care workers
- people who help sick, old, or disabled people
- Commonwealth
- a group of countries, mostly former British colonies, that work together
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Foreign workers will wait longer to apply for indefinite leave to remain 2. Care workers 3. The cost of a plane stopping to pick up Andy Burnham
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has outlined the final version of her plans to change _____ rules.
Foreign workers will have to _____ longer before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Mahmood presented the details as part of the government's wider approach to _____ policy.
The changes are expected to affect many foreign workers, including _____ workers.
Many care workers in the UK come from _____.
The government argues that the new rules are needed to _____ migration more carefully.
Downing Street declined to say how much it cost for a _____ carrying Andy Burnham.
The plane was travelling to a _____ leaders' summit.
Journalists asked about the cost of the _____, but the government has not given an answer.
Mahmood's settlement announcement is likely to remain a major topic of _____ in the coming weeks.
Discussion questions
- Why might a government want to make foreign workers wait longer before settling permanently?
- What effects could longer waiting times have on care workers and the health system?
- Why do you think transparency about government costs, like the plane's detour, matters to the public?
- How might political debates like this affect the way foreign workers feel about living in the UK?
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