Reform UK will review citizenship grants from the Mahmood wave

Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage and Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf have today announced that a Reform UK Government will take decisive action to avert the looming fiscal catastrophe that is the Boriswave, now compounded by Shabana Mahmood's failure to stop low wage migrants that the public never voted for being given settlement and then British citizenship.

Shabana Mahmood announced today that she has caved in to the Labour left and u-turned on longer settlement for those who came on care visas during the Boriswave. Based on the Home Office's settlement forecast, 205,000 people who came on the Health and Care route will be eligible for British citizenship before the next election. Under our estimates, this cohort will cost the taxpayer over £50bn over their lifetimes.

A future Reform UK Government will therefore:

1. Review grants of citizenship given to those who arrived on care visas who benefited specifically from Mahmood's u-turn today.
2. Extend the qualifying period for citizenship to a minimum of 10 years. 
3. Review citizenship based on a person's net contribution, although that won't be the sole factor, with those who lose their citizenship having to reapply for the new renewable 5-year visa that will replace Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage MP said :

Shabana Mahmood has shown her true colours: she talked a big game on immigration but has u-turned at the first sign of trouble from her left wing Labour colleagues. This is despite Andy Burnham promising the opposite to the people of Makerfield. Reform warned last year that if the Boriswave were granted citizenship en masse it would be a fiscal catastrophe and that a Reform government would take decisive action. This is not a decision that we have taken lightly, but it is the only course of action available to prevent serious harm to the taxpayer.

Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf said:

Shabana Mahmood should hang her head in shame. This is a complete betrayal of the British people who have voted time and time against mass immigration. It is clear now that Labour under Open Borders Burnham have no intention to bring immigration down. The Conservatives also cannot be trusted on this, after all they let in over 4.8 million people from 2021-2024. 

The measures Reform has laid out today have been carefully calibrated to cover a specific cohort who are forecast to pose a net lifetime cost on the exchequer of over £50 billion. Only Reform has the resolve to take the action necessary to reverse the Boriswave.