Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch Backs Tougher UK Immigration Rules

Matilda Omonaiye/

Kemi Badenoch, the Nigerian-born Leader of the Conservative Party and one of Britain’s most prominent politicians of immigrant heritage, has urged the Labour government not to weaken its proposal to double the qualifying period for permanent residency from five years to ten, arguing that temporary work visas should not become an automatic route to settlement in the United Kingdom.

Badenoch, who was born in London to Nigerian Yoruba parents but spent much of her childhood in Lagos before returning to the UK as a teenager, made her position known in a post on X as debate continues over the future of Britain’s immigration system.

Her intervention is particularly striking given her own family background.

Badenoch has frequently spoken about arriving in Britain as an immigrant and has said her family experienced financial hardship after relocating from Nigeria, experiences she says shaped her views on opportunity, integration and immigration.

In her latest remarks, she argued that the government’s proposed reforms should go further rather than be diluted.

Badenoch maintained that work visas are intended to meet temporary labour shortages and should not automatically create an entitlement to permanent settlement.

She also argued that migrants who remain unemployed or continue in low-paid work should be expected to leave the country when their visas expire instead of remaining indefinitely.

Her comments come as the Labour government considers reforms that would extend the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), commonly known as permanent residency, from five years to ten for many migrants.

The proposal forms part of a broader effort to reduce net migration while reshaping legal migration pathways.

If implemented, the changes could affect an estimated two million migrants who entered the UK on work-related visas from 2021 onwards, significantly delaying their eligibility to apply for permanent settlement and, eventually, British citizenship.

Under the existing framework, many skilled workers can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after completing five years of continuous lawful residence, provided they meet salary, employment and other immigration requirements.

The proposed changes would require many applicants to spend a decade in temporary immigration status before becoming eligible.

Supporters of the reforms argue that extending the qualifying period would reinforce the temporary nature of work visas, encourage greater economic self-sufficiency and ease pressure on public services.

Critics, however, contend that a longer pathway to settlement could create uncertainty for families, employers and sectors that depend heavily on international workers.

Badenoch has consistently advocated stricter immigration controls, insisting that migration should primarily serve Britain’s economic interests while ensuring newcomers integrate successfully into British society.

Her latest intervention places additional pressure on the Labour government as it faces competing demands from those calling for tighter immigration controls and others warning against measures that could make Britain less attractive to skilled workers from around the world.

For many Nigerians considering education, employment or long-term careers in the UK, the outcome of the debate could determine how quickly they are able to secure permanent residency under one of Britain’s most significant immigration policy changes in recent years.