Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has publicly affirmed her support for the government's proposed immigration reforms after initially expressing hesitation during a recent interview. This shift comes amid ongoing debate over plans to extend the qualifying period for foreign nationals seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
The reforms, introduced last year by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, aim to increase the residency requirement for ILR from the current five years to as long as 15 years. The government’s position is that these changes encourage legal migrants to contribute more substantially to the country before obtaining permanent residency. Mahmood is anticipated to announce the government's formal response to a consultation on the proposals next month.
During a Sky News interview earlier this week, Fahnbulleh declined multiple times—seven according to reports—to state whether she supported the reforms. Her reluctance drew attention given her cabinet role, and she later described the interview as “awkward.” She explained that her hesitation stemmed from a personal commitment to avoid dishonesty, saying, “I didn’t get it right and it hasn’t come off as I intended.”
Following the interview, Fahnbulleh issued a public apology for statements she made about “never lying” in relation to her previous remarks and reiterated her backing for the Home Secretary’s approach. She tweeted that she “fully support[s] our Home Secretary and the government’s position on migration reform,” emphasizing that “it’s absolutely right that people should have to make a contribution to this country to earn citizenship.”
The proposed increase in the qualifying period for ILR has sparked resistance among some Labour Members of Parliament, with concerns raised about its potential impact on social cohesion and migrant communities. Fahnbulleh herself had previously criticized the policy on her constituency website, arguing that it threatened “the process of building cohesion.”
Despite internal opposition, the government maintains that the reforms are necessary to ensure fairness in the immigration system and to encourage integration. The forthcoming announcement on the consultation’s outcome is expected to clarify how the government plans to proceed with the policy.
Overall, Fahnbulleh’s recent statements align her publicly with the government’s stance, resolving a brief period of ambiguity in her position on the issue. The debate over the lengthening of the ILR qualifying period is likely to remain a contested issue in the UK’s broader immigration policy discussions.