Rachael Maskell, Christian and MP for York Central, has told Premier Christian News that proposed migration and settlement changes are “dehumanising”.
Under new plans from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, many migrants will have to wait a decade before qualifying for permanent settlement. But proposals to make foreign care workers already in the UK wait 15 years before gaining indefinite leave to remain have been scrapped, meaning they will continue to qualify after five years if earning more than £25,000. Monday's announcement marked a watering down of proposals first put forward last year, following criticism from a number of Labour MPs.
Maskell said that many of her Labour backbench colleagues were still “just not happy at where the government have landed on this”. She urged for “further discussions” so that the rules “honour those” who have come to the UK, particularly those filling skills shortages in sectors like care.
She told Premier: “I would use the word dehumanising. We’ve got to remember that everybody is created by God, has value and worth, and we’ve got to be able to recognise that and to honour that.
“How we should be moving forward is to ensure that people are properly and quickly integrated into our communities. If people are having to wait not five years but 10 years, that’s a very long time for people to settle. I know that churches do incredible work at reaching out to new communities, and I really encourage them to continue to do that and provide real worth to the value of people’s lives that come here.”
Those earning more than £125,000 will be able to apply after three years, a shorter wait compared with those on lower salaries. Maskell told Premier that was “not equitable or fair”.
“In our economy, we don’t necessarily recognise wages and contribution in the same way, so sometimes people that make the greatest contribution that can really be of massive value to society are often on low wages. So it's not fair if people are working hard, making those contributions, and then have a lot longer than somebody in a high-paid job. Who, yes, they'll make their contribution, but it is different,” the MP added.
Mahmood has defended her plans as being “fair” and backed by the entire Cabinet.
The Conservatives have said the Home Secretary’s plans would cost taxpayers “billions” of pounds.