-
Question
Philp questioned whether the Home Secretary's recent activity is related to her leadership bid and criticised the government for failing to address illegal immigration. He also pointed out that Labour opposed measures previously proposed by his party.
Minister reply
The minister did not provide a direct answer to Philp's questions but reiterated the need for fairer settlement policies and acknowledged support from some aspects of her proposal.
-
Question
Can the Home Secretary give an estimate as to when these new measures will be implemented? Additionally, can she confirm the earnings threshold for national insurance contributions?
Minister reply
The 12-week consultation ends in February, with changes anticipated from April 2026. The current earnings threshold is £12,570 over three years as per the national insurance contributions system.
-
Question
Can you provide assurances that the Home Office will look at reducing the burdensome system of repeated applications for discretionary leave to remain?
Minister reply
The ministerial team will discuss with my hon. Friend's suggestions, as she brings valuable experience in this area.
-
Question
How does the Home Secretary assess the economic impact of higher visa costs on attracting talent and addressing staff shortages in sectors like healthcare?
Minister reply
The Government acknowledges the need to balance policy reforms with economic considerations, particularly in critical sectors like healthcare. The relationship between legal migration and illegal migration is being addressed through comprehensive reforms.
-
Question
The Home Secretary will be aware that the Government’s family financial requirements review notes a threshold in the region of £23,000 to £25,000 would allow most British workers in full-time minimum wage jobs to qualify. When will she consider this review and look again at the fairness of the current earnings thresholds?
Minister reply
We always keep those thresholds under review, and we will continue to do so in relation to family and bringing dependants over.
-
Question
The Home Secretary loves our country and I love her efforts. Will she undertake to be judged not just by the strength of this announcement but by results, so that we actually make a real contribution towards stopping the boats? Is she prepared to constantly ratchet up the pressure?
Minister reply
Results are all that matter. It is incumbent on me to think about reforming the system, making a public argument for it, persuading people and getting this done.
-
Question
Could she confirm that the five-year route will apply to NHS staff engaged in public service and explain how she will continue discussions with DHSC colleagues to ensure no unexpected reduction in NHS workforce staffing?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right about the contribution made by nurses who arrived since 2021, encouraged by previous governments’ failure to do NHS workforce planning.
-
Question
I broadly welcome the changes but seek clarification on revocation for settled individuals breaking the law. Why propose making low-skilled workers who are net fiscal recipients wait 15 years for ILR instead of telling them to leave? Also, how will new policies ensure a significant reduction in visas issued?
Minister reply
The powers to revoke indefinite leave to remain are not changing; provisions for foreign national offenders also unaffected. We will review thresholds regarding criminality and retrospectivity as we design the system.
-
Question
Given her commitment to a five-year pathway for partners of British citizens, can she clarify how this term is calculated for those on different visas but have been here for five years?
Minister reply
None of the rules about marriage in-country are changing. I would be very happy to discuss these matters with her in more detail over the next few months.
-
Question
Will she reassure this House and survivors of domestic abuse that they will be protected under her reforms, and that changes to ILR will not have adverse impacts on those locked into abusive relationships?
Minister reply
We continue to have pathways to settlement for victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable groups. We are inviting views in the consultation about how some changes might have unintended consequences.
-
Question
Would she say a little more about the route to settlement for Ukrainian families who opened their doors following the invasion of Ukraine?
Minister reply
Nothing I have said today changes the position of those who have come to this country on the Ukrainian scheme. It is seen as a temporary scheme, and its provisions continue to be supported by us in government.
-
Question
The Home Secretary has given assurances to those who have achieved indefinite leave to remain and settled status in the country. Can she give an assurance to those currently seeking ILR under specific programmes like Operation Pitting that they will not be deported, especially considering potential deals with the Taliban?
Minister reply
We will abide by our international obligations and never return individuals to face danger or persecution. However, we are introducing new rules for assessing whether a country is safe for citizens to be returned. We would not compromise on these principles.
-
Question
Will the Home Secretary confirm if an assessment has been carried out on the economic impact of extending ILR wait times to 10 years? Does she understand that such a policy could exacerbate skills shortages in Scotland?
Minister reply
Immigration is a reserved matter, and it is up to the SNP to address skills and education policies which are devolved. Our ability to manage immigration effectively will help ensure the labour market's needs are met.
-
Question
In 2024, voters expressed frustration with our broken immigration system inherited from the Tories. They do not trust Reform to tackle it. Does the Home Secretary agree that we must get order and control at our borders?
Minister reply
Absolutely, this is an open, tolerant country that needs order and control at its borders for a fair and managed asylum and immigration system. The reforms aim to maintain these principles.
-
Question
What measures will the Home Secretary take regarding human rights laws, particularly those created by ECHR rulings that force judges to rule in favour of spurious claims?
Minister reply
We will not leave or derogate from the European Convention on Human Rights. However, we aim to legislate for changes to Article 8 and immigration rules, defining family life and drawing up a more stringent public interest test.
-
Question
While managing migration, should the Home Secretary continue highlighting the benefits of immigration? Will she confirm that sanctuary will always be offered to those truly fleeing peril?
Minister reply
I acknowledge the benefits of migration personally and professionally. We will offer sanctuary but also need reforms for public trust in our asylum system, including faster routes to settlement.
-
Question
Will the Home Secretary confirm whether senior social care workers like Anushka, who contribute significantly but may be considering leaving for places like New Zealand or Australia due to hostile narratives, will still be considered public sector workers?
Minister reply
Settlement is not a right and must be earned. The consultation includes measures around public service contributions, acknowledging the specific needs of those filling labour gaps.
-
Question
I thank the Home Secretary for her confirmation about the five-year pathway for Hongkongers—that is a promise kept to them. The statement was otherwise a series of push measures. I am always fascinated by how much more difficult it gets, when it comes to the individual decisions made within the system. To push the Home Secretary on the Boriswave, which she has criticised, the vast majority of those figures were made up of Hongkongers arriving here under the BNO scheme, Ukrainian refugees, and deferred student visas after the covid pandemic. Which of those measures does she think was a mistake?
Minister reply
I was clear about our responsibilities towards Hongkongers, and that the issues in relation to the Ukraine scheme are not going to change. However, the hon. Member will know that the stats on health and care visa holders, primarily those who came to work in adult social care, will be the main contributors to the settlement increase between 2027 and 2029, because they will make up nearly half of all settlement grants in 2028. The figures really do speak for themselves, so it is important that the Government move to deal with the vast number of settlements due to happen over the next few years. It is therefore right that we extend the path to settlement, and ask some questions about how we manage the situation in the future.
-
Question
I entirely agree that we need control of our borders in this country. In respect of transitional arrangements, over the next 12 years there will be an 83% increase in the number of over-80s in my constituency. Health and care visa workers are currently providing critical services to many of my constituents, as well as supporting the NHS. Can the Home Secretary confirm how the transitional arrangements will ensure that this care continues to be provided to my constituents?
Minister reply
The Health Secretary and his Department are always reviewing and considering the arrangements. We need to ensure that we have a workforce capable of sustaining the national health service. We have an ageing population, which brings its own specific challenges. We are not talking about preventing people from working in our national health service; it is about the pathway to settlement. It is about extending the pathway from five to 10 years, and then thinking about the rules we need to bring that number down from 10 and closer to five years, or that might increase it instead. In that spirit, I encourage my hon. Friend to engage with the detail, and I would be happy to talk to her offline.
-
Question
The Home Secretary announced a consultation on a five-year pathway to settlement for those who work in the public sector to recognise the particularly valuable role they play in society. Will she please put that to the vote, so that MPs can ensure that those who work in organisations that are fundamental to the public sector—such as those who work in hospices, like the amazing Woking & Sam Beare hospice in my constituency—are always included in the five-year pathway?
Minister reply
All the measures will be taken through in the usual way.
-
Question
I am delighted to hear the Home Secretary announce that we will keep our promise to British national overseas visa holders from Hong Kong. That is something that I have worked with my constituents to lobby the Government on over the past few months, and I am delighted that the Government have listened. As well as transnational repression, Hongkongers bring other issues to me. Many of them in Leeds South West and Morley are highly skilled and have excellent qualifications, but employers in this country do not necessarily recognise those qualifications, which makes it much harder for them to get their first job. Will the Home Secretary work with other Departments to help employers in this country recognise the amazing contribution that Hongkongers can make to the UK economy?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes an important point, and while it is not the direct responsibility of the Home Office, I will ensure that those conversations happen across Government and that a Minister from the Department for Business and Trade writes to him on the matter.