LONDON — Shabana Mahmood demanded the dismissal of Immigration Minister Mike Tapp after he wrote an unauthorized article. Tapp's article for the Times newspaper argued that overseas care workers should be exempt from new settlement rules.

Mahmood was unaware of the article's publication. Downing Street indicated that the prime minister had not yet made any decision regarding Tapp's employment status. Tapp stated in the Times, "It is my strong belief that migrant care workers should not have to wait longer to apply for permanent settlement in the UK." He added, "It is my strong belief that those who have come to the United Kingdom on care worker visas who have played by the rules and have genuinely contributed to our care system should not be required to wait longer to apply for settlement."

The ministerial code mandates that ministers maintain a united front on decisions once they have been reached, guided by the principle of collective responsibility. Tapp also wrote in the Times, "That is the issue I am working hard to address." He stated that exemptions to indefinite leave to remain changes would apply to all individuals who entered via the health and care visa route.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp commented on the situation, stating, "It's beneath contempt." The current waiting period for permanent settlement is five years. Mahmood's proposals would require overseas workers currently in the UK to wait longer to apply for indefinite leave to remain. Angela Rayner said it would be "un-British" to make care staff already in the UK wait for up to 15 years before being allowed to settle permanently.

Mahmood is preparing to introduce the immigration and asylum bill before parliament next Tuesday. The immigration and asylum bill will not include new rules to double the time required to qualify for indefinite leave to remain for most migrant workers. These changes concerning indefinite leave to remain are not part of the immigration and asylum bill, but could be implemented through secondary legislation.

Between 2022 and 2024, a total of 616,266 health and care visas were issued. More than half of these visas were granted to dependants of workers. Analysis by the Home Office and its Migration Advisory Committee estimated that approximately 200,000 care workers and their dependants would apply for permanent settlement between now and 2030 if the five-year route remains unchanged.