Britain's Confetti Citizenship must End
We examine the 3 stages which an immigrant can go through in order to acquire British Citizenship: Limited Leave, Indefinite Leave, British Citizenship. The very generous, and hugely expensive, concept of "Indefinite Leave" is no longer fit for purpose and should be replaced with our concept of "Contingent Residence". The benefits of the British State should only be given to citizens and therefore British Citizenship should be made much harder to acquire. We explain how! Written by AFFG Director Alistair McConnachie, who is presently working on "Vol 2 of A Big Book for the Union" dedicated to protecting our borders.
THE 3 STAGES to BECOMING a BRITISH CITIZEN – WHY IS IT SO EASY?
In order to fully understand our policy proposals, it is necessary to explain the 3 stages which an immigrant must go through at the present time, before he or she can become a British citizen.
The First Stage: Limited Leave to Remain, and without Benefits
Firstly, he will legally arrive on a visa – work, study, or family. This will specify the conditions of his temporary presence, which will include a "No Recourse to Public Funds" rule. (1)
This means that people on such temporary visas cannot claim benefits, such as social housing, although there are some exceptions. The immigrant will be required to pay an NHS surcharge known as the "Immigration Health Surcharge" to access the NHS. When the visa runs out, he or she may be able to apply for an extension – called Further Leave to Remain – or switch to another visa. For example, some study visas allow you to move on to a work visa.
The point is that it is meant to be temporary, and you cannot claim benefits. You have to make your own way. As we will explain, this is how all immigration should remain. The immigrant should always have to look after himself until such time as he becomes a British citizen when the benefits of citizenship should accrue.
The Second Stage: Indefinite Leave to Remain (also called "Permanent Settlement")
Once an immigrant on a work or family visa (or someone who has been granted refugee status and has been granted "refugee leave"), has been in the country legally for 5 years then he or she is entitled to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which can take either a few weeks or months to be granted. (2)
This means the immigrant can now be permanently settled in the UK for as long as he wants, free of immigration restrictions and, remarkably, virtually all the benefits of the State are opened up to him on the same basis as British citizens!
This includes all welfare benefits such as Universal Credit and disability benefits; entitlement to social housing; housing benefit; free and full access to the NHS; entitlement to student loans and grants; and entitlement to the State Pension after 10 years of National Insurance payments.
Once granted ILR, the immigrant can also bring in eligible non-British family members (that is, spouses and children) – although various cases brought under Article 8 of the ECHR's "right to privacy and family life" appear to have extended this to other members of the wider family. (3) The way it works is that the family members abroad are entitled to apply for a family visa to join their ILR relative. In time, these relatives can also apply for ILR.
Essentially ILR offers everything that is available to actual British citizens, except a passport and the right to vote at some elections. (4)
It is at this stage that the immigrant can start to really cost the taxpayer because it is at this stage, that, depending upon his situation, he may start to take out more money from society than he is putting in!
Given the ease with which ILR can be achieved and given the economic burden which it places upon the State, we question why ILR is available after such a short 5-year period!
We further question why benefits are offered which should rightly only be available to formal British Citizens.
We propose that these benefits should only be available after British citizenship, and that British citizenship should also take much longer to acquire (as below).
It is this award of "Indefinite Leave to Remain" which represents a real problem both in terms of the economic cost, and the social and cultural cost, of large numbers of people being allowed to legally "remain" in the country forevermore!
"Indefinite Leave to Remain" is a nation-changing concept. It allows foreigners to "remain" in this country "indefinitely" just because they've lived here for a measly 5 years! Why on earth should they?
Now some people might say "Why shouldn't they?" and the answer is "Because it's not their country. They came from somewhere else and, unlike us, they have somewhere else to go back to."
This is the only country we have and we need to protect it.
As below, we propose the concept should be abolished entirely!
The Third Stage: British Citizenship (also called "Naturalisation")
After being granted ILR, an immigrant can apply to become a "British Citizen" one year later. This means that from first arrival to fully-fledged British citizen could be a process as quick as 6 years.
After being granted ILR, the immigrant does not need to apply for citizenship. It's up to him. Virtually everything has already been granted to him under ILR, anyway! There's not much else to be granted by full-on British citizenship!
However, citizenship will offer the chance to call yourself legally "British"; a passport; dual citizenship if you want it and if your previous country allows it; the ability to apply for British citizenship for any of your children born in the UK; and the right to vote at Westminster elections and referendums. Depending upon which part of the country you live in, you may already have been able to vote at council and devolved elections from the point at which you became "legally resident" on a visa.
There are no serious requirements other than demonstrating a very basic grasp of the language, passing a "Life in the UK" test, paying a small fee, and attending a citizenship ceremony.
In the first 9 months of 2024, the UK gave out 268,481 such British citizenships. (5)
Why do we give out "citizenships" like confetti?
The current path to British citizenship demonstrates that we don't properly value our citizenship!
Britain's system of "confetti citizenship" has to end.
It needs an entire overhaul.
IMMEDIATELY, SUSPEND ILR – and then CHANGE THE SYSTEM
The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has calculated that numbers eligible for ILR are going to massively increase from January 2026, as a consequence of the huge levels of immigration into the UK between January 2021 and June 2024. They have suggested that in the year 2028, anywhere between 742,000 to 1,224,000 people could be claiming ILR that year alone! (6)
The CPS also estimates that these people are going to be a massive drain on the public purse, with the most optimistic estimation being a cost of £234 billion over the next few decades.
The first way to mitigate this is to put an immediate halt on all further claims for ILR. This is entirely possible and could be quickly rushed through Parliament.
If our current politicians won't suspend the right to claim ILR, then they should at least increase the number of years before it can be claimed. Again, this can be easily rushed through Parliament.
This is essential if we are to protect the public purse!
Ultimately, though, we must move to utterly change the essential nature of the immigration contract in the manner described below.
ABOLISH ILR: IN FUTURE, ALL IMMIGRANTS RESIDE only on a "CONTINGENT" BASIS, UNTIL CITIZENSHIP
Why do we even have "Indefinite Leave to Remain"?
Why do we lavish all these benefits on huge numbers of people just because they've lived here for 5 years?
The concept was introduced by Edward Heath's Conservative government in the 1971 Immigration Act. It's well past its sell-by date, if it ever had one!
Instead, today, we should expect every immigrant to pay their own way.
It doesn't matter how many years you've lived here; you should not get any benefits of citizenship until you actually become a citizen.
There is no need for this costly and unnecessary, and nation-changing "Indefinite Leave to Remain" concept.
Therefore, we propose that ILR should be abolished, and the system should be simplified as below.
SIMPLE NEW CONCEPT: CONTINGENT RESIDENCE
In future, every immigrant in the UK, from day one onwards, should be considered to be here on a "contingent" basis – contingent on the specific requirements of their visa and contingent on them looking after themselves.
We could call this "Contingent Residence", or "Contingent Leave". There should be no access to any benefits of the State until the person becomes a British Citizen. This is how most people instinctively presume the system works, anyway!
Citizenship should only be allowed after 25 years of unbroken, legal, contingent residence in the UK.
This means that prior to citizenship being granted, the government can, at any time, withdraw your right to live here. There should no longer be any right to permanent settlement, and to enjoy the benefits of the State, except for fully-fledged British citizens.
This means that if, for example, a person has been granted refugee status – this will not confer a right to claim indefinite leave to remain after 5 years (as at present). It will only confer leave to remain contingent on the refugee being able to continue to support himself, and his home nation continuing to be dangerous. When it is no longer dangerous, Contingent Residence will be withdrawn, and he will be required to return.
For all immigrants, until citizenship, there should be no access to the benefits system, such as Universal Credit or disability benefits.
Until citizenship, there should be no automatic access to social housing or housing benefits. Legal immigrants must be expected to house themselves at their own expense.
Until citizenship, there should be no automatic right to free access to the NHS. A surcharge should continue to be paid. Free access should only come with British citizenship.
Until citizenship, there should be no access to student loans and grants.
Until citizenship, there should be no access to the State Pension.
Until citizenship, there should be no automatic right for your foreign relations to join you in the UK. Again, this should only become a right under British citizenship, and even then it should be highly restricted.
Until citizenship, the subject must remain a net contributor to the public purse, paying in more than taking out. The immigrant's Contingent Residence in the UK should be withdrawn if the person becomes a net recipient of public funds. This will be measured by the income of the person as an average over the previous 5 years.
If they become a net recipient of public funds, their immigration status will become illegal, and they will be asked to leave the country. On failure to leave, they shall be deported to their actual country of citizenship.
This will ensure that if the subject ever applies to become a British citizen – see below – they will always have been a net contributor to the public purse.
If the subject is found guilty of certain categories of offences including criminal, and driving offences; or fails to pay the NHS surcharge, or any other surcharge required of non-citizens then this will render their immigration status illegal. They will be required to voluntarily leave the UK. On failure to leave, they shall be deported.
END CERTAIN PATHS TO SETTLEMENT, and CITIZENSHIP
1. Refugee Status must not be a Path to any kind of permanent settlement, or British Citizenship
A refugee is a former "asylum seeker" who has been given permission to stay, called "refugee leave". Under present law, a refugee can apply for ILR after staying for 5 years under "refugee leave".
Claiming asylum in the hope of being granted refugee status, and then indefinite leave to remain, and then potentially British citizenship, is one of the reasons why the asylum process is being abused so heavily at present.
This ability should end. There should be no "From Asylum to Refugee" path to either any kind of permanent settlement, or British citizenship.
It should be quite enough that we "rescued" them from their "persecution", and have given them the opportunity to stay in the UK. They don't need to become British citizens as a result. Furthermore, if they exclusively retain their former citizenship, then it means they will always be able to return to their former home if that becomes possible, or be deported back to it, if necessary!
There is already a precedent.
The current Ukrainian refugee programmes do not allow for a route to stay permanently. The programmes were developed specifically to meet the Ukrainian situation with a temporary time period in mind. They are not entitled to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. It is expected that these people will eventually go back home. Indeed, this is how all our refugee programmes should work.
2. Illegal Immigration must not be a Path to any kind of permanent settlement, or British Citizenship
This is regardless of how their illegal status came about.
They may have entered illegally and been found at a later date. They may have entered legally via work or study visas but overstayed, or they may have had their asylum application turned down but chosen to stay illegally. No matter how it came about, once they are illegally present then they must no longer be allowed to stay.
They will need to leave, and if they will not leave voluntarily then they will need to be deported.
[We accept that in some unusual cases, it may be necessary to grant a form of permanent residence to people who are on refugee leave, or who are discovered to be present illegally (on some humanitarian grounds perhaps), but they should never be allowed to apply for British citizenship regardless of how long they have lived in the country.]
NEW QUALIFICATIONS FOR CITIZENSHIP – OUR SUGGESTIONS
1. Extend the Length of Time before Citizenship is Granted
Why should it only be 6 years before such "naturalisation"? Why not 10 years like Italy, Spain, Switzerland? Or 15 years like Austria, China, Saudi Arabia; or 20 years like Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain? After all, what is the rush to make people citizens? Some countries grant only a handful of citizenship awards per year.
We propose 25 years (a generation) of unbroken contingent residency before qualifying for British Citizenship.
If someone is a law-abiding net contributor to the public purse, for 25 years, then he or she will be entitled to apply for British Citizenship. This may seem like a long time, but seriously, why on earth are we desperate to give out citizenship at all?
2. Limit the Number of Grants per Year
In the 35 years inclusive from 1962 and 1996, there were 1,521,322 grants of British citizenship – an average of 43,467 per year. That's a big number!
In the next 27 years inclusive from 1997 to 2023, there were 3,842,515 grants of British citizenship – an average of 142,316 a year – which is over 3 times the annual average in the preceding 35 years. (7) That's a huge number!
In the first 9 months of 2024 it was 268,481. (8) That's a ridiculous number!
Why so many? Why not have an annual limit, granted on a first-come-first-served basis. This would also mean that some people might never be granted citizenship if there is a long waiting list in front of them. So what? It really doesn't matter from our perspective.
3. Ensure Payment of a Large Fee
There should also be a considerable financial investment involved; a large payment which benefits the Treasury. As of 2025, the payment is only £1,630 for an adult application!
Why do we put such a meagre value on British citizenship? Why do we value it so cheaply? It should be at least 10 times that!
With over a quarter of a million citizenships granted in the first three quarters of 2024, the Home Office could, at least, put up the fee and make some money!
4. Clean Criminal, Immigration, and Driving Record
Any immigrant who has committed a crime or serious driving offence in the UK will find their Contingent Residence at an end, and therefore be prohibited from qualifying for British Citizenship. And as above, any previous illegal immigration status will prohibit any path to citizenship, whether the subject arrived illegally, or as a result of a legal stay subsequently becoming illegal. The only path for them will be the path out of the country, never allowed to return!
5. A Shorter Path to Citizenship for Commonwealth citizens, via Service in the Armed Forces
In the UK, you can serve in the British Armed Forces if you are a citizen of the Commonwealth, or the Republic of Ireland. The Nepalese Ghurkhas have a separate arrangement. The assumption here is that people from the Commonwealth will be supportive of the UK, or at least have a historic attachment to the UK; and people from what is now the Republic of Ireland have had a history of serving in the British Armed Forces from the beginning.
We propose that citizens of the above countries, or where exceptions have been given, can use their time served in the British Armed Forces as part of their pathway to citizenship.
For example, someone who has served in the British Armed Forces for, say 6 years, can apply for citizenship in half the time it takes to normally become a British citizen. Under our proposed rules, this would mean 12 and a half years instead of 25. The 6 years' service would be included in the 12 and a half years. So if, for example, you served for 12 and a half years, then you could apply for citizenship as soon as you are discharged.
WITHDRAW NON-RECIPROCAL, AND RESIDENCE-BASED, VOTING RIGHTS
All of the above should be done at the same time as we:
a) withdraw voting rights from those Commonwealth countries who do not offer reciprocal voting rights. However, there is also an argument as to whether we should just withdraw voting rights from them all;
b) withdraw all residence-based voting rights which allow non-citizens to vote because they are "legally resident". This currently exists in Scotland and Wales at the council and devolved levels, as per the subject of our article here.
NOTES
1. An exception is an asylum-seeker who has been granted "refugee status", and what is called "refugee leave". Refugees are able to claim benefits including social housing. As we say in the above article, this should not be allowed. Once accepted as a refugee, their status should be "contingent" upon them looking after themselves, and their home country remaining dangerous.
2. Some visas do not allow a route to permanent settlement. For example, time spent on a study visa does not count towards this 5-year period, nor do the Ukrainian refugee programmes. The various "routes" have been considered by Karl Williams "Here to Stay? Estimating the Scale and Cost of Long-Term Migration" (Centre for Policy Studies, Feb 2025), downloadable as a PDF here.
3. See the concept of "Family Reunion" at the UK Government page here.
However, judgements at Immigration Tribunals have extended this right to enable a refugee with ILR to bring in other family members. For example, it was reported that a Syrian refugee in Glasgow was being allowed to bring in his parents, and even his niece and nephew, from Beirut! See Greg Russell, "Relief as family stuck in Lebanon win fight to come to Scotland", The National, 6-12-24 at p3.
It was also reported that a Palestinian man was being allowed to bring in his relations – who appear to be either his sister and brother-in-law and their children, or his brother and sister-in-law and their children. See Daily Telegraph, 12-2-25, p1 and here.
These interpretations of the law have been constructed upon Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the "right to respect for private and family life" clause).
In order to prevent the Courts developing further precedents upon this clause, it will be necessary to pass a law to disapply Article 8 in such immigration cases.
If this proves impossible to do within membership of the ECHR – which technically it is – then the UK will need to withdraw from the ECHR altogether, and then adjust the relevant section in British law, which is found in the Human Rights Act 1998.
4. Alistair McConnachie, "Esteem our British Citizenship" 25-5-24.
5. This is to year ending Sept 2024. See "Accredited official statistics. Summary of latest statistics", section 8, published 28 Nov 2024 at the UK Government page here.
6. Centre for Policy Studies, op cit at p13.
7. See Table Cit_02 in the Excel spreadsheet downloadable at the link "Citizenship summary tables, year ending September 2024 (ODS, 46.9 KB)" on this page. These figures do not refer to those granted ILR, only to those who choose to apply for citizenship after they had spent at least 5 years on ILR.
8. "Accredited official statistics", op cit.
For more articles on this subject see our Territorial Sovereignty: Article Index
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