英國豁免照護工作者，免受延長移民取得居留等待期計畫影響

安德魯・麥卡斯基爾（Andrew MacAskill）與山姆・塔巴赫里提（Sam Tabahriti）報導By Andrew MacAskill and Sam Tabahriti

倫敦，11月2日（路透社）——英國週一放寬對尋求取得永久居留權移民施加長時間等待期的計畫，宣布豁免數十萬名照護工作者，以化解執政工黨內部的政治反彈。LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Britain watered down plans on Monday to impose long delays on immigrants seeking to receive permanent residence, announcing exemptions for hundreds of thousands of care workers to defuse a political outcry within the governing Labour Party.

英國政府去年宣布計畫，要求較低技術工作者取得永久居留權的等待時間，從先前的5年延長至10至15年。The government had announced plans last year to require lower-skilled workers to wait 10-15 years to receive permanent residence, up from five years previously.

但根據週一公布的計畫，政府表示照護產業數十萬名工作者如今將不受較長等待期限制。不過，非法搭船抵達的難民將面臨額外懲罰，現在可能被要求等待數十年。But under the plans unveiled on Monday, it said hundreds of thousands of workers in the care sector would now be exempt from the longer waits. Refugees who arrived illegally by boat, however, would face additional penalties, and could now be required to wait decades.

政府表示，即使有這些豁免，這項政策仍將使自2021年以來抵達、並可在2030年前取得居留資格的移民人數減少50萬人。在新規定下，同期間仍將有多達140萬人符合資格。With the exemptions, the policy would still reduce by 500,000 the number of migrants who arrived since 2021 and would qualify for residence by 2030, the government said. As many as 1.4 million will still qualify during that period under the new rules.

這些改革是政府收緊規定的一部分。英國脫離歐盟後，入境人數激增，脫歐後的移民政策導致醫療照護工作者和學生大量湧入。The reforms are part of the government's effort to toughen the rules, after arrivals surged following Britain's departure from the European Union, with post-Brexit immigration policies leading to an influx of healthcare workers and students.

政府最初提出收緊規定的方案，引發工會及執政工黨部分人士反彈，尤其是關於照護產業工作者的命運；這些工作者往往薪資偏低，而該產業一直難以填補職缺。Initial government proposals to toughen the rules had sparked a backlash from unions and parts of the governing Labour Party, particularly over the fate of often low-paid workers in the care sector, which has struggled to fill vacancies.

內政大臣夏巴娜・馬哈茂德說：「貢獻最大的人將最快定居。」「不守規矩的人將遭拒或等待更久。」"Those who contribute most will settle fastest," interior minister Shabana Mahmood said. "Those who don't play by the rules will be refused or wait longer."

這些變更是對政治壓力的回應，其中包括來自奈傑爾・法拉吉（Nigel Farage）的民粹政黨英國改革黨（Reform UK）的壓力。該黨近年來以要求更嚴格的移民管制而聲勢大漲。The changes are a response to political pressure, including from Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party, which has surged in popularity in recent years with calls for stricter migration controls.

政府在反彈後作出讓步GOVERNMENT OFFERS CONCESSIONS AFTER BACKLASH

先前，合法移民必須等待5年，才可能獲准取得「無限期居留」（indefinite leave to remain）身分；這項身分允許人們在英國永久居住和工作，並有資格享有部分福利給付。Previously, legal migrants had to wait for five years before they could be granted "indefinite leave to remain", a status which allows people to live and work in Britain permanently and be entitled to some welfare benefits.

這些變更預定明年生效，仍將把標準資格等待期加倍至10年，並將追溯適用於已在英國的工作者。The changes, due to take effect next year, will still double the standard qualifying period to 10 years, and be applied retrospectively to workers already in Britain.

除新增照護工作者例外外，年收入至少5萬271英鎊（6萬7448美元）的人，以及許多公部門技術工作者，將可在5年後符合資格；年收入超過12萬5000英鎊的人則只需3年即可符合資格。In addition to the new exception for care workers, those earning at least £50,271 ($67,448) and many skilled public sector workers will be able to qualify after five years, while those earning more than £125,000 can qualify in just three.

政府希望這些修正能回應執政的中間偏左工黨部分成員所表達的疑慮。今年稍早，住房大臣安琪拉・雷納（Angela Rayner）稱追溯適用規定「不英國」。上個月，能源大臣方寶妮（Miatta Fahnbulleh）說，這些計畫對她以難民身分來到英國的家人而言會很艱難。The government hopes the revisions will satisfy concerns expressed by some members of the governing centre-left Labour Party. Earlier this year, the housing secretary, Angela Rayner, described applying the rules retrospectively as "un-British". Last month, the energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said the plans would have been tough for her family, who came to Britain as refugees.

馬哈茂德是巴基斯坦移民之女，她長期主張英國需要控管移民，以保護像她自身所屬的社群，避免右翼民粹政策崛起造成衝擊。The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Mahmood has long argued that the UK needs to control immigration to protect communities like her own against the rise of right-wing populist policies.

（1美元 = 0.7453英鎊）($1 = 0.7453 pounds)

（山姆・塔巴赫里提與安德魯・麥卡斯基爾報導安德魯・海文斯、凱特・霍爾頓、彼得・格拉夫編輯）(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti and Andrew MacAskillEditing by Andrew Heavens, Kate Holton, Peter Graff)