Mahmood proposes migrant settlement plans
The gist
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is to announce her final decision on settlement rules to MPs.
The plan split Labour and drew over 200,000 consultation responses.
How it unfolded
- Sep 29, 2025The Home Office outlined plans for a new "contribution-based" settlement model aimed at reducing net migration; Mahmood presented the proposals in a speech at Labour's conference in Liverpool.
- Feb 4, 2026Mahmood defended the reforms before MPs at the Home Affairs Committee, saying settlement is a "privilege not a right"; the consultation was due to close on 12 February.
- Mar 2026Mahmood said that without reform some 350,000 low-skilled workers and their dependants would qualify for settlement, and access to benefits, over the next five years.