LAMBETH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CALL ON COUNCIL LEADER TO OPPOSE CHANGES TO INDEFINITE LEAVE TO REMAIN
Recent proposals from the Government to double the standard qualifying period for ILR from five to ten years, alongside calls from the Reform Party to scrap ILR altogether, would place thousands of Lambeth residents into prolonged insecurity. Many rely on ILR as their main route to permanent residence, particularly where British citizenship is either unaffordable or incompatible with holding another nationality.
Lambeth is home to many workers who would be directly affected by these proposals, and who contribute daily to the life of the borough. The Liberal Democrats have also raised serious concerns about the impact on children born in the UK to parents who have settled here in recent years.
The Liberal Democrats have written to the Leader of the Council, Claire Holland, requesting that she lobby the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood MP, to abandon these proposals. They have also written to the Green Party in Lambeth, asking them to support this call in order to present a united voice in defence of Lambeth residents.
Cllr Donna Harris, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group in Lambeth, said:
“Migrants are an essential part of Lambeth’s social and economic fabric. Proposals to scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain, or to force families to wait ten years instead of five for security and stability, would be devastating for residents who have built their lives here. These are people with jobs, homes, and children in our schools.”
She added:
“Moving the goalposts yet again undermines integration, damages community cohesion, and risks driving workers away from our borough. That is why we have asked the Leader of the Council to lobby the Government, and why we are also seeking cross-party support, including from the Green Party, to urge Shabana Mahmood to abandon these harmful proposals.”
The Liberal Democrats note that the current five-year qualifying period for ILR is supported by public opinion and provides a fair and workable framework for integration.
The Government’s proposals on ILR were opened for 12 weeks of consultation in November 2025:
