UK grants permanent residency to nearly 200,000 migrants, highest in 16 years

LONDON — The United Kingdom granted permanent residency to around 200,000 migrants in the year to June 2025, the highest level in 16 years, according to Home Office statistics. The figure marks a 24% increase from the same period a year earlier. Applications for British citizenship over the same period surpassed 315,000, also reaching a record high. Citizenship requests rose 17% compared with the 2024–2025 period. The Times newspaper linked the surge to post-Brexit labor reforms introduced under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's plan to extend the residency requirement for permanent settlement from five years to ten years. Many migrants reportedly rushed to submit their applications before the new rules take effect.