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Migration rules overhaul to put 300k children 'in limbo'
The Gazette
|February 09, 2026
MORE than 300,000 children living in the UK could be left “in limbo” if the Home Office goes ahead with its shakeup of legal migration rules, a think tank has warned.
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The Home Secretary set out details to end automatic settlement status after five years in November.
It means the 1.35 million legal migrants already in the country - nearly a quarter of whom are children, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) would be forced to wait longer for settled status.
Under the proposed changes, conditions will be set for migrants to apply for settled status after 10 years, and they could be tracked or forced to wait longer depending on their “contributions” to the UK.
People who work in public services, like doctors and nurses, or who pay a higher level of tax, could qualify for settlement after five years, under the plans.
This story is from the February 09, 2026 edition of The Gazette.
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