Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was pressed by GB News Political Correspondent Olivia Utley after unveiling new migration plans, as he faced questions on whether his proposals are "actually tougher" than the Conservatives.
The exchange occurred as Reform UK unveiled its new immigration policies targeting what the party calls the "Boriswave" of migration.
During reporters' questions, GB News Political Correspondent Olivia Utley asked: "Those applying for citizenship would have to wait seven years.
"The Conservatives have said that they're double the time that some would have to spend in the UK before applying for indefinite leave to remain from five years to 10 years. Isn't your proposal actually more lax than theirs?"
Nigel Farage said that the Conservative Party are 'kicking the can down the road' with their plan
|POOL
Mr Farage simply responded:" They're just kicking the can down the road, aren't they? And let's not confuse citizenship with indefinite leave to remain."
Reform UK Head of Doge, Zia Yusuf, expanded further and said: "Firstly, once again, this is probably the ultimate example of the Tories turning up as firefighters for their own arson. They’ve inflicted all of this on the country.
"Look, there are people who come to this country and contribute. I want to go back to that question about care home workers, and fair play. My mother has worked in care homes for years she still works in care homes to this day, and she’s over 70.
"Some people say, 'Zia, why doesn’t she retire?' I could give her every penny in my pocket and I still couldn’t stop her delivering care because that’s who she is.
"I’ll tell you this: Inside care homes, nobody is more acutely aware of the widespread, atrocious abuse of the care home visa programme in recent years. I want to be really clear about that.
"We will ensure there are enough staff to cover those care homes. But, as we’ve said time and time again, not for an infinite number of years.
LATEST POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS:
"We have to start training British people to do those jobs and incentivise our own people to take them on.
"At the moment, settlement is available after five years. We’re going to increase that to seven.
"But the most important part of what we’re announcing today and I can’t emphasise this enough is that the so-called Boris wave of 3.8 million people, of which we conservatively estimate 800,000 would take up ILR and then live off the state for the rest of their lives, will not happen under a Reform UK Government."
Reform UK's proposed immigration system would require migrants to reapply for visas every five years and meet enhanced criteria including elevated salary requirements and superior English language proficiency compared to existing standards.
The party intends to extend the residency period needed before citizenship applications from five to seven years
|POOL
The party intends to extend the residency period needed before citizenship applications from five to seven years whilst implementing stricter limitations on family reunification for spouses and children.
Under the new framework, foreign workers would lose access to state benefits and complimentary NHS services, with welfare provisions reserved exclusively for British citizens.
Reform's proposals would compel individuals with existing settled status to reapply under the more rigorous visa scheme, potentially resulting in hundreds of thousands losing their residency rights through what the party describes as a "staggered and orderly" process enabling businesses to recruit British replacements.
The term "Boris wave" refers to the substantial increase in legal migration that occurred under Boris Johnson's premiership between 2019 and 2022, following implementation of post-Brexit immigration policies.