A research manager who moved from Brazil to the UK has said Nigel Farage’s plan to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) would make it impossible to plan a future in this country.
Brener Seixas, who works in London, pays taxes through his above-average salary while volunteering for a housing association cooperative in Lewisham. He also runs a Brazilian film festival, which takes place next month.
Despite having lived in the UK for four years, the 34-year-old, who is preparing to apply for ILR status in March, said Reform UK’s radical policy on immigrants had left him feeling insecure about his future.
At a press conference on Monday morning, Mr Farage announced officially that his party, which is ahead of Labour in some opinion polls, would abolish ILR and force non-EU migrants to renew their visa every five years.
Under the crackdown, which Mr Farage claimed would save £234bn through welfare and housing, applicants would have to meet certain criteria, including a higher salary threshold and a better standard of English. Those with UK citizenship status would not be affected.
However, the plan has been met with an outcry from charities, campaigners and politicians, as well as those who would be affected, including Mr Seixas.
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He told The Independent: “The proposals to scrap ILR, and force people like me to reapply repeatedly for the right to stay, don’t just change the rules on paper – they make me feel like a guest who can be asked to leave at any time, no matter how much I’ve invested in this country.”
Mr Seixas first arrived in the UK from his home city, Belo Horizonte, in 2019, after being picked from 75,000 applicants for a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
After graduating, he went back to Brazil and got a job with his London-based employer, before returning to the UK after the Covid pandemic in 2021 with limited leave to remain (LLR) status. After four years under LLR, he can apply for ILR next year.
As well as working in London, Mr Seixas volunteers at the Sanford Housing Co-op, and is behind the Mostra do Filme Marginal festival in the capital next month.
He said: “[Reform’s plan] creates constant insecurity. I studied here, found work, and followed every rule – yet the idea that ILR could be revoked, or visas [will have to be] endlessly renewed, makes it impossible to plan normal things like travelling, having housing security, starting a family, or caring for relatives.
“My employer depends on international talent to deliver projects, but penalising companies for hiring from abroad only creates churn, lost productivity, and higher costs.”
He added: “Treating us as disposable undermines social cohesion, and sends a message that we don’t belong. We are neighbours, colleagues, and family. I am not a stranger; I’m part of the UK’s everyday story.”
Mr Farage’s plan comes despite net migration having fallen by half last year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Some 431,000 migrants arrived during 2024, compared with 860,000 the year before.
Of these migrants, 86 per cent came to the UK from non-EU countries, with the highest number coming from India, followed by Pakistan.
Also concerned about Reform’s plan are those who already have ILR. They would have their status ripped up and would need to apply for LLR every five years.
Mish, who did not want to give her surname, was awarded ILR this year, after five years during which she had to apply for LLR twice, spending £2,500 each time plus solicitor’s fees.
The 33-year-old arrived in the UK from Mauritius as a victim of human trafficking. She is now married and has a daughter, and works as a youth organiser at migrant and refugee support group Praxis.
“You almost never feel safe, just because there is always something else to worry about,” she told The Independent. “This all makes you feel very unstable. But this is my life, this is where I am. It is very unsettling; I’m worried for my and my family’s future.”
Migrants’ Rights Network has accused Reform of “adding fuel to the fire” by announcing its policy on migrants following this summer’s far-right demonstrations over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.
A spokesperson said: “It’s quickly becoming the norm for politicians to try to outdo each other on anti-migrant rhetoric and policies.
“Reform’s announcement is an attempt to bait the government into implementing even harsher immigration policies. We urge both the government and other political parties to push back and centre unity instead of division.”
