Newscast The Week: Immigration Reform, Burnham And The Budget
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Nov 21, 2025 The discussion kicks off with a big update on migration policy, extending the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five to ten years. The panel explores how this could impact millions and the challenges facing the Home Office. Labour’s strategy to adopt tougher migration policies comes under scrutiny, linking it to political centrist positioning. Plus, there's buzz about Andy Burnham and leadership dynamics within Labour, alongside a preview of the upcoming budget's potential pitfalls.
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Major Extension To Settlement Waiting Period
- Shabana Mahmood doubled the settlement qualifying period from five to 10 years, affecting about 2.6 million arrivals since 2021.
- The Home Office will lengthen it further to 15 or 20 years for benefit claimants and speed up it for NHS workers and high-value contributors.
Benefits Trigger Much Longer Waiting Times
- Claiming benefits can dramatically increase the qualifying time to settle, with over 12 months pushing it to 20 years.
- The policy sends a clear behavioral signal: avoid benefit claims to reach settlement sooner.
Administrative Cost Of Temporary Asylum Reviews
- Implementing periodic reviews for asylum status every 2.5 years will create substantial administrative burdens and costs.
- Groups like the Refugee Council warn it will require hundreds of millions to deliver that extra work.