“Simply watering down the harsh measures that were originally proposed isn’t good enough. The plans must be scrapped altogether.”
Commenting on reports the government is rethinking elements of its changes to the settlement period for migrant workers, UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan has called for the plans to be scrapped:
“Simply watering down the harsh measures that were originally proposed isn’t good enough. The plans must be scrapped altogether.
“They amount to a nasty attack on migrant workers, who are the backbone of the NHS and social care system. These are people who do so much to enrich society more widely.
“The measures are also politically self-defeating. They’re likely to alienate Labour’s progressive support base and won’t convince Reform supporters to change tack.
“Labour would be wise to drop its extension of the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain and focus on more radical measures to address the cost of living crisis.”
- Andrea Egan is the General Secretary of UNISON, you can follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.
- You can follow UNISON on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- This article was originally published by UNISON on 19 March 2026.
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