“A welcome victory”

Unite has today (2 Nov) welcomed the Home Secretary’s decision to step back from her original plans on indefinite leave to remain (ILR) for care workers, NHS workers and teaching assistants.

However, Unite has also highlighted double standards that require doctors to work for five years to receive ILR but those working in finance or technology could be eligible in just three.

Under the original proposals, the qualifying period for ILR would have doubled from five to ten years for most migrants and potentially tripled to 15 years for care workers. The new rules would also have applied to people who had already moved their lives to the UK on the understanding that settlement was five years away.

Today’s changes are a vindication of its campaign. Unite has called for those already working in the UK, including care workers, NHS workers and teaching assistants, to be protected from the changes

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “For some time Unite has been calling for care workers, NHS workers and teaching assistants not to have retrospective detriment as far as indefinite leave to remain is concerned.

“Today’s announcement, although still short of some necessary detail,  is a welcome victory for those workers and their families.

“There are still some inconsistencies yet to be explained. For example, why is it deemed acceptable for an NHS doctor to wait five years, while a city ‘finance bro’ paying additional tax is able to go through the system in three.

“The question is, is it fair to bring workers to Britain and change the goalposts mid-stream. We need to be vigilant. Let us not forget the original plan was full steam ahead until there was a backlash.”

Unite has over 100,000 members across all occupations and professional groups in the health sector and will continue to argue for a fairer system as well as running the Stand up for Social Care campaign. 

By Keith Hatch