Mahmood refuses to put cost on care worker settlement climbdown

Key Points:

• Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has revised plans to delay settlement for foreign care workers in the UK, now allowing some to qualify after five years while others can apply for a five-year visa extension before settlement.
• The original proposal to double the wait for permanent settlement from five to 10 years for most migrants, and up to 15 years for some, was expected to save £10 billion, but the revised plan's cost savings have not been specified.
• Mahmood claims the revised approach will still save "billions" by delaying settlement for workers in other sectors, aiming to reduce welfare claims from those not currently working in care roles.
• The number of people delayed from gaining permanent residency has decreased from nearly 800,000 to just over 500,000, with 1.9 million expected to settle in the UK between 2026 and 2030.
• Critics, including the Institute for Public Policy Research, challenge the £10 billion cost estimate, highlighting potential positive fiscal contributions from migrants under current settlement rules.