Immigrants must live in UK for 15 years to qualify for citizenship — Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, has announced a significant shift in the party’s immigration policy, stating that immigrants must live in the UK for at least 15 years before they can apply for British citizenship.

In her first major policy declaration as party leader, Badenoch proposed extending the period before immigrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years.

Once granted ILR, she stated that they would then have to wait an additional five years before becoming eligible for a British passport, arguing that the current system allows people to settle too quickly, placing a strain on public services.

“I want to reduce immigration and make living here actually mean something. We need to change the way our immigration system works,” she said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The UK Conservative Party leader also emphasised that only those who are net contributors, earn a high enough salary, and have no criminal records should be allowed to stay permanently.

Badenoch further stated that those who enter the UK illegally or overstay their visas would be permanently banned from obtaining legal status or citizenship.

The Conservative Party is pushing to apply these changes retroactively to 2021 through amendments to the upcoming Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, which will be debated in Parliament next week.

While many immigrants on work visas, asylum seekers, and those in the UK illegally are already restricted from claiming state benefits under the “no recourse to public funds” rule, Badenoch’s proposal aims to tighten access further.

She believed the system must ensure that only those who have a genuine connection to the UK and contribute to the economy can settle permanently.

“We need to make sure that people coming here have a real, meaningful connection to the UK ,no criminal records, they should be net contributors to the economy, not relying on benefits but people who care about our country and our communities,” Badenoch told the BBC.