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.”
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”.
