Last November, the government announced plans to delay settlement and introduce stricter criteria for migrant people seeking permanent residence in the UK. These include extending the default qualifying period from five to 10 years and effectively penalising those who have accessed public funds by further lengthening their route to settlement. Amongst the changes it proposes routes as long as 30 years before being able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain for some groups of migrant people.
Working in the violence against women and girls (VAWG) sector at Hibiscus, an organisation supporting Black and minoritised migrant survivors of abuse, I immediately became concerned about the harm these changes could cause to women. Many migrant women are made vulnerable precisely because they lack independent settled immigration status and so risk losing their right to reman if they leave their relationship. Alongside partner organisations, we have raised serious concerns about the cruelty of these proposals and their long-term consequences for the women who access our services.
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As I reflected on these changes, I found it impossible not to think about my own future and the future of other many friends and colleagues working in the VAWG sector. After nearly a decade in the UK, I was due to apply for indefinite leave to remain in 2026. Those who have navigated long-term settlement routes understand the cautious relief that comes with finally seeing stability on the horizon. Yet the government is now consulting on whether these proposals could be applied retrospectively. The possibility alone has been deeply unsettling, forcing me to question whether building a life in the UK is truly within reach.
Many of us working in the third sector have a personal connection to the causes we champion, a connection that drives our commitment and passion. Having lived on temporary visas for years, I have long felt drawn to working to influence change so migrant women and communities can live a life free from violence and abuse. Despite the privileges I recognise in my life, living with insecure status is profoundly hard. It limits your ability to plan for the future, drains your savings through repeated and extortionate visa fees and charges, and leaves you in a constant state of uncertainty about your right to remain. Over time, it can make you feel that you simply do not belong.
In the worst cases, the absence of settled status exposes women to heightened vulnerability, the very reality faced by many who seek support from specialist by and for organisations. These community-led services are created by and for groups subjected to marginalisation, offering culturally informed, wrap around, feminist and holistic support that survivors consistently say they trust and prefer.
