The home secretary has announced plans to introduce a volunteering “test” for migrants applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
In a speech at the Labour party conference yesterday, Shabana Mahmood said the government would soon consult on plans to tighten the requirements people from overseas must meet before being legally allowed to settle in the country.
She said migrants will be required, under the proposals, to have lived in Britain for 10 years, double the current requirement, but may earn an earlier settlement based on their “contribution”.
“I will be proposing a series of new tests, such as: being in work; making national insurance contributions; not taking a penny in benefits; learning English to a high standard; having no criminal record; and finally, that you have truly given back to your community, such as by volunteering your time to a local cause,” she said.
In response, NCVO’s director of voice and impact Saskia Konynenburg said: “Volunteering always has and always should be just that. Voluntary.
“We encourage anyone to support their community, grow skills and give back through volunteering. But, we should never mandate it.”
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of the Royal Voluntary Service, said: “We believe in ‘volunteering for all’ and want to support people from all backgrounds and situations to be connected to their communities and prosper.
“However, by its nature volunteering should be voluntary. If it were to be mandated it would take away many of its inherent benefits.
“So how this is implemented really matters and RVS is keen to learn more about the government’s proposals in this area and to contribute to the discussion.
“Charities are changing and they are working hard to make volunteering more flexible and easier to fit around people’s complex lives. And this provides the opportunity to expand its positive impact in our communities.”
Ahead of last year’s general election, charity bodies expressed concerns when former Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak proposed that 18-year-olds should be made to volunteer in a form of “national service”.
Janet Thorne, CEO of Reach Volunteering, said: “Migrants already contribute to our communities in multiple ways – through work, family, culture and, often, through volunteering itself. In fact, many migrants are already volunteering through Reach.
“So to treat volunteering as a test for settlement undermines its voluntary nature, and strips it of its meaning, value and impact. It also opens the door for exploitation.
“Volunteering is about compassion and connection, not compliance. Making it a settlement test robs it of what makes it most valuable – the spirit in which it is done.”
