The House of Lords Justice and Home
Affairs Committee has today launched a new inquiry into
settlement, citizenship, and integration, along with an
accompanying call for evidence to inform its
work.
The Government has proposed changes to
settlement and citizenship in the Immigration White Paper, and
the Policy Paper on asylum and returns. The Committee is looking
at these proposals as well as the Government's longer-term
intentions relating to citizenship. The inquiry will also look at
measures to aid integration and social cohesion in the processes
that lead to permanent settlement and
citizenship.
These issues affect the whole of the
UK, and the Committee is interested to hear the perspective from
all four nations. International comparisons and approaches are
also of interest to the Committee. The Committee encourages those
who have experience of the process of obtaining ILR and
Citizenship, to submit evidence.
Topics the Committee is seeking
evidence on include:
The Committee invites interested
individuals and organisations to submit written evidence
by 23 January
2026. The full call
for evidence is available to read on the committee's
website.
The Rt Hon. The , Chair of the Justice
and Home Affairs Committee,
said:
“Polling shows that matters relating
to Immigration and Asylum regularly rank as amongst the most
important to British voters. The proposals that the Government
are now consulting on envisage a major overhaul of the UK's
approach to settlement and citizenship. These changes will impact
millions of people, including very many British citizens who have
family members on track to secure settled status or citizenship
in the UK. We want to know whether they will add more complexity
to a system which is already baffling to many. It is crucial that
the proposals are scrutinised
comprehensively.
"As well as the specific proposals
outlined in the consultation, we are also interested in the
Government's longer-term intentions towards citizenship policy.
The Committee has previously looked at aspects of the process of
applying for ILR and citizenship, specifically matters relating
to the Life in the UK test. This time around, we are looking at
the process as a whole.
"The UK is not alone in grappling with
questions around migration and the contribution of newcomers.
Much has been made of the inspiration of the Danish approach to
settlement and integration, but the Committee wants to understand
what other approaches can teach us. We want to know what
effective integration looks like, and whether the UK has been
promoting integration and citizenship
effectively.
"We are keen to hear from a wide
variety of voices, in particular those with direct experience of
obtaining British citizenship and successfully integrating into
life in the UK."
Tomorrow the committee will be holding
its first evidence session as part of the new inquiry, looking at
immigration policy, pathways to citizenship and types of
migration.
Giving evidence will
be:
Possible questions
include:
The session will take place on
Tuesday 25 November 2025 at
10:30am and can be
followed live on Parliament TV.
