Who is Britain’s ‘perfect’ immigrant?

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Shabana Mahmood is the latest home secretary to try to reform Britain’s complex immigration policy. Her latest proposals on so-called ‘indefinite leave to remain’ are designed to assess migrants based on the extent of their contribution to the country — by taking account of their skills, salary and what kind of job they are able to fill.

As MPs in the Commons consider Mahmood’s plans, this week on Westminster Insider host Sascha O’Sullivan tries to find out who Britain really sees as its ‘perfect’ immigrant, reflecting on the very different perspectives of the Home Office, voters and economists. Sascha is joined by Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University and interim chair of the Migration Advisor Committee, which advises the Home Office.

Keralan-born Labour MP Sojan Joseph tells Sascha his story of coming to the UK to work as a care worker, and reflects on how he tried to navigate British society amid its various and often contradictory demands for the ‘perfect’ immigrant.