LONDON: Britain’s home secretary proposed strict new rules for migrants seeking to settle in the UK, as the ruling Labour party bolstered its fight against the hard right at its annual conference.
Migrants looking to remain indefinitely will have to have a job, not claim benefits, and undertake volunteer community work under plans designed to claw back support among voters drawn to the anti-immigrant Reform UK party, whose popularity is soaring.
Confronting Reform, led by firebrand Nigel Farage, is the main theme of Labour’s four-day gathering in Liverpool, northwest England.
Currently, migrants with family in Britain who have lived there for five years qualify for “indefinite leave to remain” — permanent residence — as do those who have lived legally in the UK for 10 years on any visa.
The battle over immigration takes place against a challenging economic backdrop, with government finances constrained by persistent inflation and high borrowing costs.
