According to a report by the UK's "e-Chinese News," since its implementation in 2003, the "14-year long residence" policy has been referred to as a "slow-motion amnesty." The UK immigration authorities are concerned that the number of applicants for this policy has increased rapidly in recent years, with current applicants rising by approximately 120% compared to the first year of the policy's implementation. UK Home Office officials are worried that the surge in illegal immigrants over the past decade or more will continue to reach the 14-year threshold of stay in the UK, leading to a wave of applications for permanent residency in the coming years.
The UK Home Office believes that if these illegally residing immigrants apply for permanent residency in large numbers, it will seriously damage the public interest of the UK. Recently, the UK Home Office has been conducting a comprehensive assessment of the "14-year long residence" policy and plans to terminate it entirely.
Considering the public interest of the UK, the British government is considering canceling the "14-year long residence" policy. Furthermore, the UK Home Office maintains that terminating the "14-year long residence" policy does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
