Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Indefinite Leave to Remain

Monday 24 February 2025 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial questions addressed the cost implications of the indefinite leave to remain policy.
  • The Minister highlighted the growth in settlement grants during the previous government's term.
  • The Conservative party was criticized for quadrupling net migration to record levels.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mike Wood Con Kingswinford and South Staffordshire
Immigration
Context

A recent Centre for Policy Studies report estimates the net lifetime cost as £234 billion for those expected to be granted ILR over the next five years.

Question

There is clearly a cost to doing nothing about the current indefinite leave to remain policy. What is the Minister’s assessment of that cost?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Seema Malhotra)

I gently say to the hon. Member that the number of settlement grants grew by almost a third in the final year that his party was in government, compared with 2023. We will take absolutely no lessons from the Tory party and a shadow Home Secretary who completely lost control of our borders, allowing net migration to quadruple to a record high of nearly 1 million while the number of dangerous boat crossings soared.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The cost assessment requested was not directly addressed; instead, the answerer criticized previous government policies.

How: Criticized Previous Government, Used Comparative Criticism

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Q2 Stella Creasy Labour (Co-op) Walthamstow
Asylum & Refugees
Context

Refugees whose cases prove that they would be at harm if returned home are given indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Question

Only refugees whose cases prove that they would be at harm if they returned home are given indefinite leave to remain in this country—30,000 people last year. They will not leave the United Kingdom to return to the bombs and the dictators, but without a route to citizenship they will find it harder to get a job to support their families, get a mortgage, or have a say in their local communities. Will the Minister meet me, and other MPs who are concerned about the new guidance on naturalisation, to talk about how we can properly support integration in the UK?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Seema Malhotra)

My hon. Friend will know that, for many generations, refugees who have arrived for resettlement in the UK have been able to apply for British citizenship if they meet the conditions, and that continues to be the case. The UK must always do its bit to support those who are fleeing persecution, but we are also clear that we must do all we can to prevent people from making dangerous boat crossings and risking their lives in the arms of criminal gangs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask for a meeting was not addressed; instead, the Minister provided general statements about refugee policy.

How: Provided General Statement

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Q3 Katie Lam Con Weald of Kent
Immigration NHS Benefits & Welfare
Context

According to the Centre for Policy Studies, over 800,000 migrants from the past five years could soon claim indefinite leave to remain. In NHS care, benefits, social housing and more, that will cost £234 billion—nearly six years of defence spending, or almost all income tax receipts for a year.

Question

As we have heard, according to the Centre for Policy Studies, over 800,000 migrants from the past five years could soon claim indefinite leave to remain. In NHS care, benefits, social housing and more, that will cost £234 billion—nearly six years of defence spending, or almost all income tax receipts for a year. Will the Minister commit to extending the qualifying period for ILR, or will she accept that the consequence of her policy is a liability for the public of hundreds of billions of pounds?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Seema Malhotra)

I am still quite flabbergasted by the questions that the Conservatives ask in the House. Their party saw net migration more than quadruple to record levels. The shadow Minister will know that the Prime Minister has also pledged a White Paper on reducing net migration—that was at the end of last year—and work is under way to consider a range of proposals, including how better to support the integration and employability of refugees.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The commitment requested was not directly addressed; instead, the answerer criticized previous government policies and referenced future work on migration reduction.

How: Criticized Previous Government, Referenced Future Plans

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