Summary: Settlement, Citizenship and Integration, House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee
The House of Lords Justice & Home Affairs Committee has just released a major 122-page report (published 23 June 2026), scrutinising the Government's proposed immigration reforms. Read full report here. Here's what you need to know
What the Report Is About
This 122-page report examines what happens to migrants after they arrive in the UK, specifically the pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), citizenship, and how migrants integrate into British society. It was prompted largely by the Government's 2025 Immigration White Paper and its proposed "earned settlement" system.
The inquiry drew on 11 evidence sessions, 20 witnesses, and over 600 written submissions, around 500 of which came from people directly affected by proposed immigration changes.
Key Issues Examined
1. Data Gaps
The report's most alarming finding is that the Government doesn't reliably know how many migrants are in the UK or whether visa holders actually left when required. Exit check data hasn't been published since 2020. Without solid data, policy becomes reactive and poorly evidenced.
2. Extending the Route to Settlement (Chapters 3 & 4)
The Government proposed increasing the baseline qualifying time for ILR from 5 to 10 years (up to 20 years for refugees). The majority of the Committee opposes this, arguing it would:
Undermine integration by prolonging migrants' legal insecurity
Increase poverty among low-income migrants
Grow the unauthorised migrant population
The Committee also strongly opposes applying these changes retrospectively to people already in the system, calling it "manifestly unfair" and potentially unlawful.
3. Earned Settlement (Chapter 5)
The report is broadly open to the concept of earned settlement (reducing or adding to ILR timelines based on contributions), but raises serious concerns about:
Income thresholds being too blunt (tied to tax brackets rather than fiscal contribution)
Exclusion of vulnerable groups, particularly women, refugees, those on maternity leave, trafficking victims, and children
Lack of ESOL (English language) provision to actually enable integration
Visa sponsor abuse trapping workers in exploitative conditions
4. Complexity and Cost (Chapter 6)
The fees system is described as a regressive tax — the least well-off pay the most through repeated applications. The Life in the UK test is called "woefully imperfect" and long overdue for reform.
5. Home Office Failings (Chapter 7)
The Committee is scathing about the Home Office — describing it as too reactive, under-resourced, lacking proper impact assessments, and poorly coordinated with other departments.
Key Recommendations & Next Steps
Here are the headline recommendations directed at the Government:
On Data:
Resume publishing exit check statistics before the 2026 summer recess
Introduce a consistent individual identifier for visa holders, linked across HMRC, DWP, and other departments (Scandinavian-style system)
Don't reduce the Annual Population Survey until the Transformed Labour Force Survey is fully operational
On Settlement Timelines:
Retain the 5-year baseline for ILR, but separate ILR from access to public funds
Do not apply proposed changes retrospectively to those already on the route to ILR
On Integration:
Reintroduce employment schemes for refugees (e.g. RTOF and REP)
Decouple work visas from individual sponsors and tie them to sectors
Expand ESOL provision nationally through a dedicated strategy
Grant settled status to children who grow up in the UK by age 18
Publish England's integration strategy by end of 2026
On Fees and Citizenship:
Cap immigration fees at 150% of cost
Reinvest profits into expanded fee waivers
Reform the Life in the UK test, move away from multiple choice to open-ended questions; introduce alternative courses
Promote citizenship ceremonies at higher-profile venues and community events
On the Home Office:
Conduct an independent review of Home Office staffing, operations, and technology
Publish full impact assessments with every major policy proposal
Introduce a Triennial Migration Plan, co-owned by the Home Office and Cabinet Office
Reintroduce the Migration Impacts Forum
Clarify ministerial responsibilities across departments
Why This Matters
Given our recent report at Tulia Group CIC Moving the Goalposts report on proposed settlement reforms affecting migrant care workers, this report backs up much of what we and other migrant support organisations have been saying, that these reforms risk harming the very people the system should support.
It directly scrutinises the same White Paper proposals Tulia Group has been responding to, and the Lords Committee's majority position aligns closely with the concerns Tulia has been raising: that extending ILR timelines harms integration, increases poverty, and disproportionately impacts low-income and vulnerable migrants.
