Charities have raised “serious concerns” after the Home Office launched a consultation outlining its plans for migrants that volunteer to earn settled status faster.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood yesterday published details of the plans, which state that migrants must earn UK settlement through “good conduct, contribution and integration”, expedited by voluntary work.
The paper says that three to five years could be chalked off the new “baseline” 10-year qualifying period – previously five – for indefinite leave to remain if an applicant volunteers in the community.
This comes after an open letter last week, organised by Asylum Matters, from 300 charities and voluntary organisations refusing to comply with Mahmood’s plans for a volunteering “test” after she announced them at the Labour Party conference in September.
The full proposals published yesterday note that volunteering “should always be a free choice” but suggest that settlement in the UK should be earned through participation in the economy and society.
Respondents are asked whether giving back to the community through actions such as volunteering should go towards reducing the time required to qualify for settlement.
It asks organisations with volunteers specifically how easy or difficult it would be for an applicant to provide evidence of “giving back”.
Another question the Home Office’s consultation asks of charities is what the overall impact would be to them of recognising voluntary work as a contribution towards settlement.
‘Greater risk of exploitation’
In response to the new paper, Janet Thorne, chief executive of Reach Volunteering, said she was not reassured by anything in the proposal and that it raised “serious safeguarding concerns”.
“Volunteers would be at greater risk of exploitation, because they may feel unable to complain of poor treatment, lack of expenses, or unsafe roles for fear of jeopardising their settlement prospects,” Thorne said.
“Any policy that blurs the boundary between volunteering and conditional labour raises serious safeguarding concerns.”
Thorne added that many migrants already volunteer but not all can, especially those working long hours for low pay, people working multiple jobs and those with health problems.
‘We must ensure this is stopped’
Nathan Phillips, head of campaigns at Asylum Matters, branded the full proposals “immoral” and “unworkable”.
“It’s disappointing the government are looking to push this unworkable policy through,” Phillips said.
“This is a nonsensical plan that undermines the principle of volunteering and ignores and undermines the immense contribution already made to the voluntary sector by migrants.
“Effectively mandating volunteering as a means to securing settlement and stability, particularly for those who have fled war or persecution is immoral.”
When asked if yesterday’s proposal did anything to reassure charities, Phillips said they would likely face more strain.
Phillips added: “There’s certainly not enough detail laid out in that document to assuage our fears and concerns about what this would mean for people seeking asylum, newly recognised refugees, or the already stretched charities who would presumably be relied upon to document, evidence and administer the volunteering ‘reduction’.”
Meanwhile, Leigh Brimicombe, umbrella body NCVO’s chief influencing officer, said the proposal would create logistical problems for charities.
Brimicombe, posting to LinkedIn, said the proposals “would be a massive logistical, bureaucratic and reporting burden for charities to deliver”.
He said: “Through this consultation, we must ensure this is stopped, and government must focus instead on investing in removing barriers to volunteering so that those who want to give their time, can.”
Charities and other organisations have until 12 February 2026 to respond to the consultation.
