Three major UK children’s charities are urging Shabana Mahmood to reconsider her controversial immigration reform. Coram, Barnardo’s, and the Children’s Society are highlighting research showing that changes to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) rules could push up to 90,000 vulnerable children into poverty. Mahmood’s plan involves doubling the standard timeframe to qualify for ILR, affecting current UK residents.

The charities argue that altering the rules retroactively would be unjust, as families made crucial decisions based on the existing regulations. A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) revealed that over 300,000 children in the UK could be impacted by the proposed earned settlement adjustments. The charities caution that as many as 90,000 children may face poverty due to these changes.

Currently, migrants can seek ILR after five years in the UK. Mahmood seeks to extend this waiting period to 10 years, emphasizing the need to earn the right to settle in the country. Her proposal includes provisions for faster settlement through community volunteering, with priority given to high earners and NHS personnel.

Conversely, individuals relying on benefits or entering the country illegally would face penalties, potentially waiting up to 30 years for settlement. Restrictions on benefits access for migrant families and limitations on children’s eligibility for student finance as ‘home’ applicants are also proposed.

While Mahmood defends the reforms as fair, the decision to apply them retrospectively has triggered criticism. The charities stress that children arrive in the UK as children, not as migrants or refugees, and reforms should align with the government’s aspirations for the younger generation.

The charities are advocating for the retention of current rules, including granting ILR to seven-year-olds born in the UK. They also seek a five-year pathway for children residing in the UK for seven years, as well as for 18 to 24-year-olds who have spent half their lives in the country. Additionally, they call for safeguards to protect babies and children from undue hardship.

Dame Carol Homden DBE PhD, Chief Executive of Coram, emphasized the importance of ensuring that settlement and asylum reforms support broader government goals for children, such as reducing barriers to opportunity and addressing child poverty.

The proposal to implement ILR changes retroactively has drawn criticism from Labour MPs, with former Deputy PM Angela Rayner condemning it as “un-British” and a breach of trust. However, recent polling by More In Common indicates that 50% of the public supports Mahmood’s proposals, while 22% remain undecided.

The Home Office estimates that without intervention, 1.6 million individuals could attain permanent settlement by 2030, following a surge in net migration under the Conservative government. The Home Office was contacted for comment.