Andy Burnham, the UK’s prime minister, faces pressure to reconsider recent migration reforms introduced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, according to Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Nowak raised concerns ahead of the TUC’s annual congress in Brighton, warning that the proposed changes could overburden social care systems and potentially fuel support for far-right political movements. While welcoming the optimism surrounding Burnham’s new government, Nowak urged the PM to address key issues, including migration policy and the rising cost of living. Mahmood’s department is currently consulting on proposals that would require more than 300,000 low-paid workers to wait 15 years before obtaining the legal right to remain in the UK. Many of these individuals are carers who arrived in the UK after the pandemic to fill critical labor shortages, under the expectation that they could apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years. Nowak criticized the change as unfair, arguing that it contradicts the expectations of those who came to the UK with a clear understanding of the rules. “I think it is fundamentally unfair to change the rules when people came to this country with one set of expectations,” he said. Nowak also expressed concerns about the proposed 10- or 15-year waiting period for new arrivals, calling it impractical for individuals planning for the future. He highlighted the challenges of buying a home, securing employment, or educating children under such conditions, which he believes hinder integration. While some Labour politicians support the reforms as a way to address public concerns about migration and reduce the influence of far-right parties like Reform UK, Nowak warned that such policies might instead strengthen far-right sentiment. He cited the recent controversy involving Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, who was accused of racism for questioning the British identity of a candidate in a local election. Nowak acknowledged that some TUC members had supported Reform UK in recent local elections but suggested the party’s appeal may be declining. He linked the rhetoric of Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, to recent incidents involving far-right groups in Dover and Portsmouth, where individuals wearing balaclavas blocked infrastructure and attempted to prevent migrants from arriving. To counter this, Nowak urged Burnham to focus on cost-of-living issues, including a proposed “social tariff” to reduce energy bills for lower-income households. He called for a windfall tax on banks to fund the initiative, arguing that it would help alleviate the financial strain on families while also addressing inflation. A Home Office spokesperson stated that the consultation on the reforms has closed and a response will be provided in due course.