Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham is set to vote in favour of the government's immigration bill as it returns to the House of Commons for its second reading today. Mr Burnham's team has indicated his support for Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's proposals, which include significant changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and measures to facilitate the deportation of convicted grooming gang leader Shabir Ahmed.
The proposed reforms to ILR would see the qualifying period for migrants to permanently live and work in the UK double from five to ten years. These changes are particularly aimed at addressing the recent increase in migrants arriving on new visas, including a notable number of care workers, issued under the previous Conservative government. While a full-scale rebellion within Labour is not anticipated during today's vote, some MPs are expected to abstain, holding out hope for amendments at a later parliamentary stage to prevent the changes from applying retrospectively to those already in the country.
A spokesperson for Mr Burnham stated, "Andy believes the public deserve an asylum system that is both compassionate and credible. This bill takes important steps towards restoring confidence by tackling illegal crossings while strengthening safe and legal routes for genuine refugees. This is about ensuring the system is fair both to those seeking protection and to the communities that welcome them." This stance comes despite almost 80 Labour MPs signing a letter urging Mr Burnham to amend the policy, arguing that its retrospective application would be "an anathema to who we are, what we stand for and how we should do politics."
In addition to the ILR reforms, Home Secretary Mahmood is expected to detail plans to amend existing law to allow for the deportation of Shabir Ahmed. Ahmed, who was recently released after serving 22 years for multiple child sexual offences, including rape, currently cannot be deported due to a 1971 law concerning Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK over 50 years ago. The government aims to change this to enable the deportation of individuals convicted of serious crimes, although Pakistan has reportedly indicated it is unlikely to accept his return. A Downing Street spokesperson affirmed, "We are committed to doing everything to deport this vile criminal and exploring every possible option."
The Home Office has confirmed it will soon respond to a public consultation on the ILR changes. One option under consideration is to allow those currently in the UK to qualify for ILR after the original five-year waiting period, but with an additional waiting period before they can claim state benefits. Further potential amendments to the bill, particularly those aimed at softening the ILR changes, are likely to be debated at later parliamentary stages.