Kemi Badenoch Pledges Tougher Path to British Citizenship

 Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK Conservative Party, has vowed to make it more difficult for immigrants to obtain British citizenship. Her proposal includes several key changes:

1. **Extended Waiting Period**: The waiting period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), a crucial step toward citizenship, would be extended from five years to ten years.

2. **Additional Citizenship Wait**: After obtaining ILR, immigrants would have to wait an additional five years before they can apply for British citizenship, effectively increasing the total process time to at least 15 years.

3. **Stricter Eligibility Criteria**: Applicants must not have criminal records and should not have claimed benefits or used social housing during their stay in the UK. They are also expected to be "net contributors" with sufficient income levels if they wish to bring family members.

Badenoch argues that these measures are necessary because current rules create a "conveyor belt" to citizenship and that immigration has been too rapid for meaningful integration. However, critics argue that these policies could unfairly penalize many working families who may rely on benefits temporarily and question their practicality given past Tory policies on immigration.