The Papers: Mahmood's 'Duty of care' or 'climbdown' and 'The new cold war'
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's revision of settlement plans for migrant care workers features prominently in Tuesday's papers.
By BBC News
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s revised settlement plans for migrant care workers feature prominently in Tuesday’s national newspapers.
The BBC reports that care workers already in the UK will not face the proposed 15-year wait for indefinite leave to remain, provided they meet the revised conditions.
Workers earning at least £25,000 a year and who arrived in the UK before May 2025 will be able to apply for settlement after five years. The arrangement applies to those who have continued to meet the conditions of their visas.
The change follows criticism from Labour MPs and pressure over the potential effect of the original plans on the social care sector.
Workers who do not qualify for the five-year route will be able to apply for a further five-year visa. They could then seek settlement after completing that period.
The i Paper describes the policy as a “U-turn”, while the Daily Mail calls it a “climbdown”. The Daily Mirror reports that the plans have been softened to help the care sector.
The Guardian presents the change as a softening of the original proposals. The papers also report that hundreds of thousands of care workers could benefit from the revised arrangements.
Mahmood has defended the wider migration reforms, saying the government is still seeking to reduce net migration while maintaining a route to settlement for care workers who meet the new requirements.
The revised plans were announced in the House of Commons on Monday.