The Home Office has cancelled plans to use volunteering as a “test” for migrants applying for reduced settlement periods after criticism from the charity sector.
In its consultation response yesterday, the department confirmed it would shelve a proposal from November 2025, which would have allowed migrants who volunteer to earn indefinite leave to remain faster.
The consultation report, authored by home secretary Shabana Mahmood, addressed the “significant concerns” raised by charities, including the possible exploitation of vulnerable people.
Mahmood had first outlined plans for a volunteering “test” at the Labour Party Conference in September 2025 before proposing that migrants should earn settlement through “good conduct, contribution and integration”, expedited by voluntary work.
The now-scrapped proposals drew criticism from the charity sector, with 300 organisations signing an open letter last year, organised by Asylum Matters, refusing to comply with Mahmood’s plans.
Umbrella body NCVO had also urged Mahmood to withdraw the Home Office’s proposal in February.
On this week’s announcement, NCVO chief influencing officer Leigh Brimicombe, posting to LinkedIn, said that the government’s change of plans was a “big win” for the charity sector.
“That proposal was wrong, for many reasons,” Brimicombe wrote. “Whilst this doesn't address all of the issues charities face, especially when it comes to immigration policy, it does still represent a win.
“This is the power of collective action and influence.”
Minnie Rahman, chief executive of Praxis, one of the Asylum Matters letter’s signees, also welcomed the move but urged the government to do more.
“It’s right that the government has dropped plans to link volunteering to settlement, but that’s like straightening a picture frame in a burning building,” Rahman said.
“Ministers need to step up and protect these volunteering communities from extremists and scrap Mahmood’s plan entirely instead of tinkering around the edges.”
Arguments against proposals
The former proposal had been that three to five years could be chalked off a new “baseline” 10-year qualifying period – previously five – for indefinite leave to remain if an applicant volunteers in the community.
However, consultation respondents raised concerns that volunteering would be difficult to define, evidence and assess consistently.
“Many also argued that volunteering could unfairly disadvantage people with caring responsibilities, disabilities, long working hours or other commitments,” the consultation report reads.
In her response, Mahmood stated that safeguarding and verification were other issues identified through the consultation, entitled A Fairer Pathway to Settlement.
“The government will therefore not use volunteering to reduce settlement periods under the new earned settlement model,” Mahmood said.
Brimicombe yesterday thanked people in the charity sector who responded to the consultation to campaign against the policy.
“I also want to thank the government for listening – this is the Civil Society Covenant, and good consultation, working,” he added.
