Farage vows to scrap settled status and restrict welfare to UK citizens

LONDON — Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, vowed to end indefinite leave to remain and rescind settled status for migrants, arguing that welfare should be reserved for British citizens. Speaking at a Westminster press conference, Farage framed the move as part of a broader shift to limit legal migration and protect public services.

Indefinite leave to remain, or ILR, allows those who have lived in the United Kingdom for more than five years to receive benefits and apply for citizenship. Farage’s team said the policy would apply to new arrivals, and would see no further ILR awards issued while existing holders would be brought into a separate visa system. He argued that the current system creates a perpetual path to benefits for non‑citizens, calling it a fiscal timebomb.

Reform estimates that 3.8 million migrants who arrived after the pandemic would be eligible for ILR between 2026 and 2030 under current rules, and that many of these individuals are either a burden on welfare systems or low‑skilled workers who would bring dependants to join them. The party contends that granting ILR at scale has driven up public costs and that scrapping the status would save hundreds of billions of pounds over migrants’ lifetimes. Farage argued that a no‑new‑ILR approach would, in his view, ease fiscal pressures and enable more resources to be directed to British citizens.

Speaking at the event, Farage asserted that the country’s welfare system should “be for UK citizens only. Not foreign nationals,” asserting that the current approach had allowed non‑citizens to access benefits and protections more readily than British residents. He suggested that the reforms would be phased in gradually to avoid shocks to business, training programs, and the labor market, saying that the transition would be carried out “on a staggered and orderly basis to allow businesses to train British workers to replace them.”

The policy document outlining Reform’s approach also calls for extending the citizenship qualifying period. Currently, some migrants can apply for citizenship after one year of being granted settled status; Farage proposed lengthening this period to deter what he called “cheap” grants of citizenship and to ensure a more robust demonstration of settlement and integration.

The plan would also see migrants living in the UK under settled status face a shift to a five‑year renewable visa regime, with stricter criteria. The proposed criteria include demonstrating an ability to speak English and earning a higher salary, as well as imposing limits on how many dependants could accompany a visa holder. Applicants who fail to meet the criteria or who are rejected could lose access to state benefits and would be expected to leave voluntarily or be subject to removal under the party’s stated approach to illegal migration, known as Operation Restoring Justice. Reform said the changes would be implemented in stages to minimize disruption and to provide time for businesses to adjust and for British workers to be trained to fill roles currently occupied by migrant workers.

Farage and Reform also asserted that the reforms would end what they describe as a “era of cheap foreign labour,” asserting that the labor market would adjust as British workers were trained and placed in positions previously filled by migrants. In his remarks, Farage accused mainstream parties of failing to address immigration comprehensively and warned that continued permissive policies would strain public services, housing, and wages.

The plan also states that those migrants who are unable to meet the new visa criteria would be expected to depart, with the party arguing that such an approach would reduce demand for benefits and ensure that state support is reserved for those who meet the new standards. Critics have warned about potential knock‑on effects on the NHS and other public services, noting that many lower‑paid migrants work in the health sector and that removing large numbers could impact staffing and patient care.

Reform cited the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) as the origin of its ILR cost projections, but CPS said on Monday that it had withdrawn the estimate after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) revised some fiscal definitions in CPS’s February study. In a statement, CPS said it would publish an updated estimate in due course and noted that the changes did not affect its analysis of visa data or the projected numbers likely to gain ILR on different visa routes. The CPS added that it was in contact with the OBR and other experts to clarify the data and would publish revised figures when ready.

The CPS clarification came amid questions from opposition parties and policy observers about the reliability of the cost figures associated with large‑scale ILR removal and the broader fiscal impact of abandoning settled status. While Reform has argued that the changes would generate substantial savings, critics have warned that the policy could lead to legal challenges, reduced healthcare staffing, and difficulties for employers who rely on migrant workers in several sectors.

NHS and public‑sector observers have raised particular concerns about how revoking settled status and expelling migrants on lower wages could affect healthcare delivery. Detractors say that some relied‑upon migrant workers play a core role in the NHS and in social care, and that mass removals could create service gaps, increase training costs, and create volatility for patient care. Reform argues that the plan would replace migrant workers with trained British staff and that the transition would be managed to minimize disruption, but the exact timelines and staffing implications are not yet defined in detail.

In a separate note accompanying the policy rollout, Reform reiterated that the era of cheap foreign labour would end and that a renewed focus on domestic skills and training would accompany tighter visa rules. Farage underscored the party’s aim of shifting public policy toward prioritizing citizens, saying the Tories and Labour had contributed to a prolonged period of reliance on migrant labor and argued that new rules would protect the social contract for British taxpayers.

The proposal has drawn mixed reactions across Parliament and among business groups. Supporters say the plan would reduce unplanned immigration, curb welfare costs, and rebuild investment in British workers. Opponents warn of unintended consequences, including potential delays for employers seeking skilled workers and risks to essential services with lower‑paid, non‑citizen staff. As Reform prepares to push its policy in the months ahead, observers will be watching for how the party balances its rhetoric with the practicalities of immigration policy, labor market needs, and the country’s broader economic trajectory.