The head of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has promised to make it harder for foreigners to obtain British citizenship.

One of Badenoch’s first policy pronouncements since taking office was that immigrants would only be eligible to petition for citizenship after 15 years of residency in the UK.

In addition, Badenoch stated that people with criminal records, those who have claimed benefits or social housing, and those who have already applied for citizenship should not be given indefinite right to remain.

She believed that only people having a “meaningful connection to the UK” should be granted citizenship, which is a luxury rather than a right.

ILR allows people to live, work, and study in the UK by granting them indefinite leave to remain.

If an individual has worked in the UK for at least five years, they can often apply for ILR; however, if they entered the country on a certain visa, this requirement may be as short as two or three years.