The leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has put forward a proposal that could reshape the future of Nigerian immigrants as well as immigrants from other countries as she suggested a 15-year wait period for those seeking to become British citizens.
Alongside this, she advocated for a tougher immigration rules aimed at tightening the entry process.
Badenoch, a Nigerian-British politician made this known in her first major announcement since becoming the leader of the Conservative Party.
While the current immigration policy allows immigrants to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years, with the possibility to apply for citizenship one year after that, totaling six years, Badenoch’s proposal plans to extend this to a 15-year wait before one can apply for citizenship.
According to her, the proposal includes waiting for 10 years before one can apply for ILR, followed by another 5 years before being eligible for citizenship.
Badenoch also proposed that immigrants who claim benefits, live in social housing, or have criminal records should be barred from settling in the UK permanently.
She explained that this is aimed at ensuring that only those who are net contributors to the economy can gain permanent residency or citizenship.
Additionally, Badenoch emphasized that applicants for citizenship must show they contribute more to the economy than they take out, suggesting a system where migrants’ contributions versus costs to public services would be evaluated.
She also proposed for her policy to apply retroactively from 2021, affecting those who entered or have been in the UK since then, through amendments to the upcoming Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill.
She asserted: “I want to reduce immigration and make living here actually mean something. We need to change the way our immigration system works. So I am announcing that the conservative party is going to do the following things differently:
1. If you want to stay in our country permanently and apply for indefinite leave to remain, the time you have to live here before you apply would increase from 5 years to 10 years.
2. You will have to be a net contributor with a high enough salary, especially if you want to bring family members with you. And if you have a criminal record, you are banned.
“We would increase the time you can apply for a British passport from 12 months to 5 years, meaning it will take a minimum of 15 years to start an application. If you enter this country illegally or overstay your visa, you will be banned from ever getting leave to remain or a passport.”
This comes as Badenoch has made several criticisms of the Nigerian government, focusing on issues like corruption, insecurity, and governance.
Badenoch, who lived in Nigeria until she was eight years old, described the country as a place where corruption was rampant, leading to politicians using public funds as their “private piggy banks.”
She had shared personal anecdotes, such as an incident where Nigerian police allegedly stole her brother’s shoes and watch.
Badenoch also painted a bleak picture of Nigeria’s socio-economic environment, describing it as a country where “fear was everywhere” due to insecurity and where poverty drives people to engage in questionable behaviours.
Her unsavoury comments about Nigeria have never stopped to generate criticism from the members of the Nigerian political class, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who suggested she might “remove the Kemi from her name” if she felt no pride in her Nigerian heritage.
