Andy Burnham is facing a migration crisis (Image: Getty)
Labour is facing a growing migrant citizenship crisis as foreign nationals rush to avoid a crackdown, new figures show. More than 200,000 people have been granted indefinite leave to remain since Labour vowed to tighten the rules last year. And experts fear a surge in citizenship applications – which typically follow a year after settlement rights are obtained – will be driven by foreign nationals from poorer countries.Academics from the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory analysed arrivals who first obtained a visa between 2013 and 2015.
Some 90% of Egyptians who moved to the UK between 2013 and 2015 have gone on to obtain citizenship. Researchers also revealed more than 90% of Armenians, 93% of Moldovans, 89% of Belarusians, 89% of Togolese, 87% of Pakistanis, 85% of Iranians, 83% of Bangladeshis, and 84% of Jordanians have obtained British citizenship after moving to the UK during that period.
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But Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood are facing a growing revolt from within their own Cabinet.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said Ms Mahmood’s migrant crackdown will hinder attempts to create cohesion.
She said: “We need a more compassionate immigration system. The asylum process is broken and needs reform.
“Ultimately, I want to see a system based on control and compassion, with a much stronger focus on integration.
“Peckham is a good example of what can happen when communities are built deliberately and people are given the opportunity to integrate and participate. If we continually prolong the time people have to wait for settlement, we can also prolong the process of building cohesion.
“We need to raise the level of the debate, challenge divisive political rhetoric and make the case for communities like the one we have in Peckham.”
Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre of Migration Control, said: “Citizenship is being awarded en-masse to cohorts that will never make a positive economic or social contribution to Britain. Lax immigration rules, riddled with loopholes and fraud, have saddled this country with a huge problem.
“These figures are a scandal. The dilution and degradation of British citizenship, with passports dished out like confetti, is something that must now be confronted and reversed.”
Analysis of Home Office figures show Indians, Pakistanis, Nigerians, Turks, Iranians and Filipinos made up the top five cohorts granted settlement rights in the year to June.
Chinese and American citizens are next, followed by South Africans, Bangladeshis, Sudanese nationals, Egyptians, Eritreans, Iraqis and Afghans.
And applications for citizenship are closely tracking bids for settlement rights.
The top 10 nationalities applying for citizenship include: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Italy, Poland, Romania, United States, Philippines, Turkey and South Africa.
Research by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford said in a research paper: “Among non-EU citizens in the UK, people from higher-income countries are in general less likely to have become UK citizens than those from lower-income or politically unstable countries.
Miatta Fahnbulleh has attacked Shabana Mahmood’s plans (Image: Getty)
“For example, among non-EU migrants with permanent status who were first granted a visa in 2013–2015, 90% of those from Egypt had also become UK citizens by 2025, compared to around half of those from the United States, Australia and Canada, even though all three allow dual nationality.”
At least 5,000 more people who have lived here for five years – having legally arrived on visas – gain settlement.
The numbers are set to rise even further in the coming months as those who arrived in an unprecedented immigration surge following the pandemic gain the right to claim indefinite leave to remain.
Ms Mahmood, speaking at Labour Party conference, hinted she will cave to Labour rebels demanding her settlement rights reforms are watered down.
The Home Secretary, who is facing opposition from more than 100 of her own MPs, trade unions and even voters, insisted she will “come to a position that balances fairness”.
Shabana Mahmood is facing opposition to her plans (Image: Getty)
It comes after a top union baron – Andrea Egan, of Unison – accused Ms Mahmood of fuelling the far-right by cracking down on settlement rights. And Angela Rayner came out against the plans, potentially plunging the flagship policy into chaos.
Ms Egan told The I that care workers face a 15-year wait to apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Under Labour’s plans, migrants will be told to wait at least 10 years before they can apply for settlement rights.
Care workers face being forced to wait 15 years before they can apply for ILR, as immigration chiefs believe the health and social care visa was widely abused.
And migrants could be barred from claiming benefits unless they become British citizens.
Some 4.2 million migrants moved to the UK between 2021 and 2024.
A government source: “It is a little rich of the Tories to criticise this Government on the Boriswave. The hint is in the name: the Tories made it. We have cut net migration by over 80% from their peak.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This government has announced reforms that mean settlement must be earned and not automatic.
“We are currently considering responses to our consultation on elements of these reforms.”
Labour Engulfed in Fresh Migrant Chaos as Cabinet Splits Erupt, Sparking Civil War Fears
Labour is facing renewed pressure over immigration policy as disagreements about border enforcement, asylum accommodation and the government’s wider approach threaten to expose divisions within the party. With public concern about migration remaining a major political issue, tensions over how ministers should respond are creating difficult questions about Labour’s priorities and its ability to present a united position.
The phrase “civil war” captures the scale of the political anxiety surrounding the debate, although disagreements within a Cabinet do not necessarily mean that a government is on the brink of collapse. Differences over immigration are hardly unusual, particularly when ministers must balance legal obligations, public expectations, economic considerations and the practical limits of the asylum system.
Nevertheless, the issue presents a serious challenge for Labour. Voters want clear answers about border security, the processing of asylum claims, the cost of accommodation and the government’s plans to reduce dangerous journeys across the English Channel. At the same time, ministers must explain how their policies will comply with the law and ensure that people who qualify for protection receive appropriate treatment.
If disagreements continue without a convincing public explanation, the government risks appearing uncertain about the direction of its immigration policy. Whether that perception develops into a lasting political problem will depend on the decisions ministers make and the results they can demonstrate.
Immigration remains a defining challenge for Labour
Since entering government, Labour has faced pressure to show that it can manage immigration more effectively while dealing with the complicated administrative and legal issues surrounding asylum.
Small-boat crossings have become a particularly visible symbol of the debate. Images of people arriving on the south coast can dominate political coverage, while communities elsewhere in the country may focus on accommodation arrangements, local service pressures and the speed at which asylum applications are processed.
For many voters, the issue is closely connected to confidence in government. They want to know whether ministers have effective control over the country’s borders and whether the rules are being applied consistently.
The government, meanwhile, must deal with several distinct problems. Preventing dangerous crossings requires international cooperation, enforcement against people-smuggling networks and measures to discourage irregular journeys. Processing asylum claims requires sufficient administrative capacity, while removing people who have no legal right to remain depends on individual circumstances and the relevant legal procedures.