According to the British publication "The China News Weekly," the policy allowing illegal immigrants to apply for permanent residency after 14 years in the UK will be terminated.
Under the legislation implemented in the UK in 2003, non-EU individuals who have illegally resided in the UK for over 14 years have the right to apply for permanent residency, allowing them to work legally and apply for various social welfare benefits. This policy is commonly referred to as the "14-Year Permanent Residency".
On July 17, Damian Green, the UK Minister for Immigration and Border Affairs, stated that he is working hard to terminate the long-abused "14-Year Permanent Residency" policy. Green indicated that those who entered and remained in the UK illegally cannot automatically assume they are entitled to residency rights.
1. Since its implementation in 2003, the "14-Year Permanent Residency" policy has been referred to as a "chronic amnesty," which will now come to an end.
According to reports from the British "Daily Telegraph," nearly 2,000 visa overstayers, unsuccessful asylum applicants, and illegal immigrants applied for permanent residency in the UK through the "14-Year Permanent Residency" policy last year. Many of these applicants had never paid any taxes during their 14 years of residence in the UK, yet were able to enjoy the same social welfare benefits as British citizens after obtaining permanent residency.
UK immigration authorities are concerned about the rapid increase in applications for "14-Year Permanent Residency" in recent years, with the number of applicants increasing by 120% compared to the first year of the policy's implementation. According to statistics released by the UK Home Office, 781 individuals were granted permanent residency in the first year of the "14-Year Permanent Residency" policy, while the number of applicants in 2009 reached 2,061.
2. The number of eligible applicants has doubled.
The UK Home Office is worried that the significant increase in illegal immigrants over the past decade will lead to many of them reaching the 14-year mark in the UK and subsequently applying for permanent residency in the coming years.
According to official data provided by the UK, the number of illegal residents is approximately 570,000. However, unofficial estimates suggest that the number of illegal immigrants in the UK could be as high as 870,000.
The UK Home Office believes that if these illegal residents apply for permanent residency in large numbers, it will severely harm the public interest in the UK.
Recently, the UK Home Office has been conducting a comprehensive assessment of the "14-Year Permanent Residency" policy and plans to terminate it entirely. Immigration Minister Damian Green believes that those who did not enter the UK through legal channels should not automatically enjoy residency rights.
UK Home Secretary Theresa May stated in early July that due to the increasing number of foreign criminals and illegal immigrants exploiting the "14-Year Permanent Residency" law to obtain permanent residency in the UK, thereby evading legal penalties for deportation to their home countries, the government is considering the cancellation of the "14-Year Permanent Residency" policy in the interest of the public.
Additionally, the UK Home Office believes that terminating the "14-Year Permanent Residency" does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
