Iain Watson,Political correspondentand
Joshua Nevett,Political reporter
BBC
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said changing visa rules for migrants already living in the UK would be "the wrong thing to do", repeating her criticism of some of the Labour government's immigration policies.
Rayner told the BBC it would be "un-British" to make care staff already in the UK wait for up to 15 years - rather than the current five - before being allowed to settle permanently.
She said controlling the borders was "completely different" to taking "retrospective action on people who have made a life here".
The UK government has consulted on immigration rule changes and a decision on the permanent residency of migrant workers already living in the UK is yet to be made.
A UK government spokesperson said: "Our position has not changed, and the route to settlement will double from five to 10 years.
"We will always welcome those that come to this country and contribute to our national life. But the privilege of living here forever should be earned, not automatic.
The spokesperson said the country had experienced historically high levels of migration in recent years, adding the government "must be honest about the scale and impact of hundreds of thousands of low-skilled migrants getting settlement".
Speaking at a rally organised by the public service union Unison on Wednesday, Rayner said there should be no retrospective rule changes to settlement for care workers "who follow the rules and contribute to our society".
"Care workers helped us through the darkest days of the pandemic," Rayner said. "Care is a system we may all need, and rely upon.
"So I for one won't rest until all those who give and receive care do so with the dignity and respect they deserve."
At the time, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham - who is Labour's candidate in the Makerfield by-election - said he understood where Rayner was "coming from" and that the party "would do well to listen to what Angela has to say".
But at the start of the Makerfield by-election campaign, Burnham said he agreed with the "broad thrust" of the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's approach.
Settlement, also known as indefinite leave to remain, gives a person the right to live, work and study in the UK for as long as they like and apply for benefits if they are eligible.
Ministers want to double the time it takes for most migrants to qualify for permanent residence from five to 10 years.
Under the proposals, people who arrived on health and social care visas would face a 15-year wait, while those who relied on benefits for more than 12 months would have to wait 20 years.
Mahmood has defended the plans, saying the "unprecedented" number of people arriving in the UK demands an answer from the government.
But dozens of Labour MPs have opposed the plans, branding the retrospective approach "un-British" and "moving the goalposts".
Speaking to the BBC, Rayner said she did not want to comment on a hypothetical Labour leadership contest.
But she did have a clear message for whoever is in charge.
"We shouldn't rip up the rules halfway through – taking retrospective action on people who are taxpayers, who are making a contribution, who are part of our society looking after our most vulnerable," Rayner said.
"It's unfair, it's un-British to do so."
She added she supported controlling the UK's borders but that this was different from the issue of settlement rights for legal migrants.
Rayner called on her own government to raise care workers' wages and not to tie visas for care workers to specific employers, which she said encouraged exploitation.
The former housing secretary has not declared that she would stand in any Labour leadership contest but she is now using her freedom to push publicly for policy changes.