CAMPAIGNERS are urging the Home Office to abolish the 10-year visa route, calling it long, costly, and discriminatory against people of colour.
The pathway is used by over 218,000 people who do not qualify for other immigration schemes due to low income or lack of professional qualifications.
Analysis of Home Office data by The Guardian shows that 86 per cent of those using this route are from Asian or African countries, with Nigeria, Pakistan, India, Ghana, and Bangladesh making up the top five nationalities. Only 6 of applicants are from Europe.
The 10-year route requires applicants to renew their leave to remain every 30 months, with each renewal costing £3,850. While the Home Office offers fee waivers, many requests are denied, leading to financial hardship for those on this path.
A report by the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU), the Institute for Public Policy Research, and the charity Praxis found that many people on this route end up in debt as they borrow money to cover the fees.
A 41-year-old woman from Ghana, who has been on this route since 2018, told The Guardian about her difficulties after missing a renewal deadline, which forced her to restart the 10-year process. “This immigration route is brutal... The government should at least change this route to five years, not 10,” she said.
A GMIAU spokesperson described the policy as “racist,” stating that it drives people into debt and forces them to make difficult choices. Nick Beales from Ramfel criticised the 10-year route as a legacy of the "hostile environment," disproportionately impacting African and South Asian nationals.
Campaigners continue to call for the route to be shortened or scrapped entirely to make the process fairer and less burdensome.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event