The numbers that show the major impact of UK's migration crackdown

British citizenship applications hit record high ahead of reforms

312,000 people applied for British citizenship in the year to March — a record, nearly double the level of eight years ago — as Labour prepares to extend the ILR waiting period from 5 to 10 years, potentially applied retrospectively. UK tech companies relying on international hires face material talent retention risk: workers already in the country could see their settlement timelines doubled mid-career, disrupting long-term team planning.