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Immigrants must wait 15 years for British citizenship – Kemi Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch has unveiled a significant policy shift, proposing that immigrants must wait at least 15 years before applying for British citizenship.
In her first major announcement as Conservative Party leader, Badenoch outlined plans to tighten the immigration system. This includes extending the waiting period for migrants to apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years.
Additionally, Badenoch emphasized that those who claim benefits, use social housing, or have criminal records would be barred from permanently settling in the UK.
“I want to reduce immigration and make living here actually mean something,” Badenoch said. “We need to change the way our immigration system works.”
Her proposal also includes a significant change to the process for applying for British citizenship. Currently, most migrants can apply for ILR after five years, with some qualifying in as little as two or three years. Under the new plan, the ILR waiting period would be extended to ten years, followed by an additional five-year wait to apply for citizenship—tripling the minimum timeline from six years to 15 years.
Badenoch’s policy will also crack down on welfare access for immigrants, ensuring that migrants are net contributors to the economy and not relying on state benefits.
These changes are expected to be introduced in the upcoming Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, which will be debated in parliament next week.
