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改革黨：若執政將廢除永居 建議包香港移民

民望持續上升的英國改革黨（Reform UK）今日公布名為「英國公民優先」的計劃，表示若改革黨在下屆執政，將會廢除俗稱「永居」的「無限期居留」（Indefinite Leave to Remain, ILR）。此建議涵蓋持 BNO 簽證去英國，但尚未達「5+1」年限、仍未能入籍的香港人。

ILR 是移民在英國居住滿五年後一般可獲批的身份。若取消有關安排，所有非英國公民將無法領取福利，並須每五年重新申請工作簽證，方可繼續在英居留與工作。

財相李韻晴（Rachel Reeves）批評，改革黨的移民政策「毫無現實基礎」。保守黨影子內政大臣Chris Philp則指，改革黨只是抄襲保守黨的移民政策，但版本「半桶水，根本行不通」。

香港人、烏克蘭人都受影響

在記者會上，改革黨黨魁法拉奇（Nigel Farage）明言政策影響範圍包括透過簽證來英國的烏克蘭人及香港人。他估計未來幾年將有逾八十萬人申請 ILR，「今日開這場記者會，就是要告訴大家，他們一個都攞唔到。」

法拉奇指出，有關措施是為阻擋「約翰遜潮」（Boris wave），避免更多人因獲得定居身分而領取福利。他批評這些福利正令國家財政吃緊。「這對納稅人極不公平。」他說：「他們正被迫承受沉重負擔，為非英國公民埋單。」

他又強調，政策有助應對債務危機，並與其他國家做法看齊。「我們不是世界糧倉，沒有責任為來自世界各地的人提供福利。」他形容，大部分有意申請 ILR 的人年輕、欠缺技能，會成為國家沉重負擔。

改革黨政策重點

法拉奇將此政策定位為改革黨處理移民問題的強硬取態，指責其他政黨多年迴避。「大規模移民之下，一半人可能永遠不會工作，結果只會令國家更加貧窮。」

改革黨政策主管Zia Yusuf進一步交代建議：

• 五年期可續簽的工作簽證，薪金門檻將大幅提高（具體數字稍後公布）；
• 僅限於無刑事紀錄人士；
• 英語要求提高；
• 簽證持有人不得領取福利；
• 入籍等待期由五年延長至七年。

他同時保證，已入籍英國公民不受影響；而已在英國、對經濟有貢獻的人毋須過分擔心。他解釋，設立薪金要求較高的五年期工作簽證，目的就是讓對稅收和社會有明顯貢獻的人可以留下，並保有通往公民身份的途徑。

民望上升被視為潛在執政者

民調顯示改革黨的民望持續上升。假如明天就投票，在英國「得票最多者當選」的制度下，加上多黨分票，他們以約30%支持度可能足夠贏到多數議席。雖然法例容許差不多四年後才大選，但形勢變得快，不少人已當改革黨是有機會執政的政黨。至於廢除永居會否被法院推翻？他們說英國是「議會至上」，所以會直接在國會改法例去落實。

Reform UK says it would abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain, for everyone.

Reform UK has announced today that if it forms the next government, it would abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain. That’s the visa status immigrants can normally get after five years in the UK – something that would also affect Hongkongers who came on BNO visas but have not yet reached the 5+1 years needed to apply for British citizenship. Abolishing it would mean that nobody who was not a British citizen would be able to claim any welfare benefits and they would have to re-apply every five years for a work visa to stay in the UK.

Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, dismissed Reform UK’s immigration plan, saying it has “no basis in reality”. Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, said Reform UK is basically copying Conservative immigration policies, but in a “half-baked and unworkable” way.

When asked at his press conference, the party leader, Nigel Farage, was clear about who would be affected. Would it include the Ukrainians and Hong Kongers who came to Britain on special visas? “800,000 people will apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain over the next few years. This press conference is to say none of them will get it,” replied Farage.

Farage said the policy was needed to head off what he called the “Boris wave” that would follow from people who were soon likely to become eligible for this settled status. He wanted to stop them being able to claim welfare benefits, which he says are bankrupting the country. “This is grossly unfair to taxpayers”, he said. “They are being absolutely hammered to pay for people who are not British citizens.”

In typically colourful language, Farage suggested that this would help deal with the national debt crisis and put Britain in line with the policies of many other countries. “We are not the world’s food bank. It is not for us to provide welfare for people coming in from all over the world.” He said that most of the people likely to claim ILR are young, unskilled and would be a huge burden on the state.

This was all framed as part of a tough approach to the whole question of immigration that Reform UK says the other parties have dodged over the past decades. “What we are attempting to do today,” said Farage, “is to make people realise that large scale immigration into the UK, where 50% of those people will never work, is making this country substantially poorer.”

The problem for Hong Kongers, either with ILR or waiting to apply for it, is that they appear to be included in this sweeping change and would be subject to the rules about new visas that the Reform Party Head of Policy, Zia Yusuf, outlined at the press conference.

He said that:

• The qualifying salary for a five-year renewable visa would be much higher. To be decided nearer the time.
• They would only be available to people with no criminal convictions
• Standards of English to qualify would be raised
• No welfare payments would be available on these visas
• An increase to 7 years for the waiting period to apply for British citizenship

There was an assurance that people who had already become British citizens would not have their status changed. Once they were British, they would keep that. Yusuf also said that productive people already in the UK should not worry. “Now there are people who are here on ILR who are contributing to this country. That’s why we are introducing this five-year renewable visa, albeit with a materially higher salary threshold.” Those people, he said, who are adding a lot of value to the country – and to taxes – will be able to stay and will have a path to citizenship.

The Reform Party policy comes as it is still rising in the opinion polls. If there were an election tomorrow, Reform’s 30% standing would probably translate into some sort of government majority because of the first past the post system when at least four or five parties are competing for the seats. There does not have to be an election for nearly four years and opinion is shifting quickly. But Reform is being taken seriously as a contender for power.

And the Party has law-making powers in its sights. When challenged at the press conference today about whether this abolition of ILR would be held illegal by the courts, Mr Farage and Mr Yusuf were typically blunt. Parliament is sovereign. So they would change the law in Parliament.