'Our Country is Not a Dormitory': UK Opposition Pushes for Stricter Citizenship Rules

London: The UK’s Opposition Conservative Party has proposed a major clampdown on immigration by tightening citizenship rules and barring social benefit claimants from residency rights.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who replaced Rishi Sunak in November last year, outlined her first major policy agenda on Thursday, aiming to regain support from Conservative voters drawn to the far-right anti-immigrant Reform Party.

Under the proposed policy, jobless and low-paid foreign workers would be barred from obtaining permanent residency, potentially forcing them to return to their home countries.

"Our country is not a dormitory; it's our home. The right to citizenship and permanent residency should be reserved for those who demonstrate a real commitment to the UK," Badenoch said.

She emphasized that the pace of immigration has been too rapid for meaningful integration. "A UK passport should be a privilege, not an automatic right. We need to slow down the path to citizenship," she added.

Key Proposed Changes

Longer Residency Requirement: The qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), a prerequisite for citizenship, would double from 5 years to 10 years.

No Social Benefits: Applicants must not have claimed any social benefits or used social housing during the entire 10-year period.

Higher Earnings Threshold: ILR applicants must prove their household is a net contributor to the economy.

Criminal Record Check: Anyone with a criminal record would be automatically disqualified from obtaining residency.

UK’s Immigration Challenge

The proposal comes as immigration remains a hot-button issue in the UK. Net migration reached an all-time high of 906,000 in 2023, fueling political debates.

Badenoch sharply criticized the Labour government’s handling of the issue: "Far from reducing immigration, Labour is leading the country toward disaster. Their Border Security Bill makes it easier for illegal immigrants to stay, let alone legal migrants. No one can trust Labour on immigration."

Tory Rift Over Immigration Policies

The policy push has sparked tensions within the Conservative Party itself. Last week, Badenoch clashed with Priti Patel, the party’s Shadow Foreign Secretary and former Home Secretary, over the Tories' record on immigration. Patel defended the previous Conservative government’s policies (2019-2022), calling claims of an open-border policy "totally distortionary."

In response to Badenoch's statement that "Tories must tell the truth about past mistakes," Patel acknowledged: "Our party is under new leadership. It's important we learn from past mistakes and improve."

Labour Hits Back

Labour’s Border Security Minister Angela Eagle dismissed the Tory proposal as "chaotic and contradictory."

"The Conservatives had 14 years in power and completely lost control of our borders. Many of their proposed measures already exist or reverse policies they introduced themselves. They had over a decade to fix the system and instead created chaos—Labour is now cleaning up their mess," Eagle said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to reduce net migration and is set to unveil a White Paper in the coming weeks, outlining new requirements for employers to train and recruit domestic workers to curb reliance on foreign labor.

A recent YouGov poll found that 56% of Britons believe Labour’s immigration policy is too lenient, compared to 21% who think it's appropriate or too strict. With immigration policy shaping up as a key battleground, the political fight over Britain’s borders is far from over.

(With agency inputs)