Crackdown on benefits for migrants

MIGRANTS could be barred from claiming benefits unless they become British citizens, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said.

- BY MICHAEL KNOWLES Home Affairs Editor

Those who have already been living on benefits for over a year must wait 20 to 30 years to receive indefinite leave to remain, under plans unveiled with the aim of discouraging illegal arrivals.

All those applying for indefinite leave to stay must have no criminal record, must not be in debt and must speak English to A-level standard.

Foreign nationals who arrived in the so-called "Boris Wave" face a 10 to 15-year wait for settlement rights amid fears over an influx of low-skilled workers, particularly on the abused health and social care visa in the early part of this decade.