Britons barely got a say in ILR shake-up

Only 18 per cent of respondents to the Home Office’s migration consultation were British citizens, new transparency documents reveal. Among those who gave their views on changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain, a whopping 73 per cent were current visa holders. The consultation also drew a strikingly high proportion of ethnic minority respondents. Some 51 per cent identified as Asian or British Asian, while 19 per cent identified as White.

A further 12 per cent were Black or Black British, and three per cent identified as mixed or multiple ethnic groups. Tory MP Jack Rankin blasted the figures: ‘Only 18 per cent of respondents to the gov ILR consultation are British citizens. Are we being governed via polling visa holders? Not sensible.’ There has been another retreat on migration. Alongside the carve-out for care workers, Shabana Mahmood has dropped her pledge to stop migrants claiming benefits until they become British citizens.

The consultation had proposed making them wait until citizenship to access welfare – but under the announced reforms, they will not have to. Reform’s Zia Yusuf vowed to ‘review citizenship grants from the Mahmood wave’. He 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.’