17 March 2026: Letter to The Guardian: The government must rethink its settlement and citizenship reforms
Religious leaders, faith groups and charities urge Labour to ensure the proposals are fair and strengthen integration
The full text of the letter and signatories is as follows:
We write with grave concern about the government’s proposed changes to settlement and citizenship rules. We urge ministers to slow down and rethink their proposals, which currently contain serious flaws.
Massive changes, to rules that could shape the lives of more than a million people in the UK for the next 20 years or more, should not be made in haste.
There is already significant disquiet among communities, employers, faith groups and civil society that these measures would be damaging to integration. Stability, belonging and a clear pathway to citizenship are essential to building cohesive communities. Policies that make status more precarious and pathways more distant risk undermining that.
It is reasonable for governments to consider settlement reforms. But their impact should be to strengthen integration and encourage contribution: not to make both harder to achieve.
The government should pause, listen, and revise these proposals so they are fair, proportionate and consistent with the UK’s longstanding commitment to fairness and inclusion.
Right Reverend Arun Arora, Bishop of Kirkstall
Imam Qari Asim, Leeds Makkah Mosque
Right Reverend Adam Atkinson, Bishop of Bradwell
Rabbi Rebecca Birk, Finchley Progressive Synagogue
The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford
Raymond Friel, CEO, Caritas Social Action Network
Rabbi Naomi Goldman, Kol Chai Reform Synagogue, Harrow
Right Reverend Dr Anderson Jeremiah, Bishop of Edmonton
Right Revd Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon
Rabbi David Mason, Executive Director, HIAS+JCORE
Right Revd Mary Gregory, Bishop of Reading
Right Reverend Martyn Snow, Lord Bishop of Leicester