The United Kingdom tightens its policy against legal immigration

The UK government, led by Andy Burnham, announced stricter requirements for permanent residency, increasing the residency period from five to ten years. Applicants must also have a clean criminal record, a good level of English, and no tax payment issues. Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood emphasized that this change aims to ensure that residency is earned rather than granted automatically. The reform is intended to reduce legal immigration and discourage illegal arrivals, although the exact financial savings remain unspecified.