London Mayor Sadiq Khan criticises government immigration reforms

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has hit out at the government’s proposed length of settled status for immigrants, saying the measure would leave them without a stake in the nation’s future.

Speaking at the Fabian Society’s annual conference, Khan said while the drastic fall in legal migration “provides a unique opportunity for progressives to reset the immigration debate”, he added that should involve highlighting the benefits of immigration.

He outlined the three ‘c’s he thinks the argument Labour should be making must centre –  compassion, control and contribution. Speaking of the last value he said “I was raised by immigrant parents who wanted to do just that. They worked hard for my future and for the future of my siblings, as well as for the future of the generous city that gave them so much.

“As a city of immigrants, London is full of people like them.  People who want to work hard, pay their taxes, learn our language, and follow our laws.  They’d be the first to agree that – to stay here – you must integrate and contribute. But at the same time, integration is a two-way street.  Any host society should help new arrivals to settle, integrate and contribute.”

However, Khan criticised plans to make immigrants wait considerably longer to achieve settled status in the UK as part of reforms by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

“It doesn’t give them a stake in our country’s future – it takes that stake away.  In London alone, we have new figures that doubling the time it takes to get permanent settlement rights could affect over half a million Londoners, who contribute over £50 billion to our economy every year.”

He also said that a shift from permanent to temporary refugee status could damage integration efforts and would leave people’s lives “overshadowed with uncertainty”.

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Mahmood announced the biggest shake-up of the legal migration system in almost 50 years in November, with migrants reliant on benefits facing a 20-year wait for settlement under the plans.

The Home Secretary defended the plans in November and said: “To settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege. And it must be earned.

“I am replacing a broken immigration system with one that prioritises contribution, integration and respect for the British sense of fair play.”

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