{"id":779420,"date":"2026-09-23T00:20:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T00:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/779420\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T00:20:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T00:20:56","slug":"i-risked-my-life-for-the-nhs-now-i-face-five-years-in-migration-limbo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/779420\/","title":{"rendered":"I risked my life for the NHS. Now I face five years in migration limbo"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When diagnostic radiographer Paul Awak, 39, came to the UK in 2021, he didn\u2019t know whether he and his wife would survive working in the <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/nhs-england?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NHS<\/a> during at the height of the <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/covid-19?srsltid=AU7gw4XxnMn2DzYMMZQd77SJTh3ArqKuZSf-9dVlz59ymWZi0hksHX_R&amp;ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Covid pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the time we came in, we never knew if there was going to be any cure or vaccine that could stop the pandemic from progressing,\u201d Awak said. \u201cWe came in knowing that we either solve the problem, or we die solving the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Five years later, he and his wife, a <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/real-life\/me-and-my-mental-health-nurses-suicide-nhs-support-362150?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">mental health support worker<\/a>, should be eligible for <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/politics\/exempt-care-workers-hardline-immigration-reforms-4737613?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">permanent settlement<\/a> in the UK.<\/p>\n<p>But if the Labour Party\u2019s proposed<a href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/politics\/home-office-crackdown-migrants-britain-4497126?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> changes to immigration rules<\/a> come into force this autumn, they will have to wait <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/came-uk-stable-future-visa-changes-have-shattered-dreams-4617461?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">another five years<\/a> before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\tShorts\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\tScroll to previous short<br \/>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/inews-theme\/assets\/images\/chevron.svg\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\tScroll to next short<br \/>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/inews-theme\/assets\/images\/chevron.svg\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/inews-theme\/assets\/images\/chevron.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>How bereavement leave is changing<\/p>\n<p>From April next year, employees\u2019 entitlement to unpaid time off work after suffering a bereavement will extend to step and half relatives, as well as foster, kinship care and adoptive relationships.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"460\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122817_68_SEI_313512532.jpg\" alt=\"Woman in red blouse putting flowers to a loved one in the cemetery.\" class=\"wp-image-4782241\" style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: Woman in red blouse putting flowers to a loved one in the cemetery.<br \/>Photographer: Antonio Hugo Photo<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Moment RF<\/p>\n<p>\nA change in the law\n<\/p>\n<p>The new legislation will include employees who lose a spouse, partner, parent, adult child or sibling. Those who suffer a bereavement will be entitled to up to two weeks\u2019 unpaid leave.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122819_702_SEI_313512620.jpg\" alt=\"Depressed woman sitting on sofa at home.\" class=\"wp-image-4782242\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: Depressed woman sitting on sofa at home.<br \/>Photographer: Maria Korneeva<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Moment RF<\/p>\n<p>The Government had already confirmed the new rights will apply to parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks of pregnancy. <\/p>\n<p>What was previously covered<\/p>\n<p>A legal right to unpaid leave for employees who had suffered a bereavement was only introduced under The Employment Rights Act of December 2025. <\/p>\n<p>Before that, only parents who had lost a child under 18 or stillborn from 24 weeks had a legal right to bereavement leave.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/hidden-signs-missed-about-harry-meghan-spencers-4779967?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122819_799_SEI_313440810.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Big Read<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">5 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/earl-spencers-5-most-damaging-royal-claims-4779874?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122820_520_SEI_311548612.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Explained<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">4 min read<\/p>\n<p>Support for those grieving<\/p>\n<p>No one should have to fight for time to grieve. These changes back people going through some of the hardest moments of life, whoever they are and wherever they work.<\/p>\n<p>Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122821_56_SEI_313512516.jpg\" alt=\"Two women sitting in armchairs and talking. Woman psychologist talking to patient woman. Coach giving hands to smiling woman. Therapist's gestures. Female talking in coworking office\" class=\"wp-image-4782240\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: Two women sitting in armchairs and talking. Woman psychologist talking to patient woman. Coach giving hands to smiling woman. Therapist\u2019s gestures. Female talking in coworking office<br \/>Photographer: Fiordaliso<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Moment RF<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--badge\">news<\/p>\n<p>Why babies infected in the womb are \u2018more likely to have autism\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122823_566_SEI_313514308.jpg\" alt=\"Mum with long blonde hair holding baby who is looking at camera with fingers outstretched\" class=\"wp-image-4782309\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: Mum with long blonde hair holding baby who is looking at camera with fingers outstretched<br \/>Photographer: Sarah Mason<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Digital Vision<\/p>\n<p>Babies could be at a higher risk of autism and intellectual disability if they contract infections such as rubella and herpes in the womb, a new study has suggested.<\/p>\n<p>What you need to know about the study<\/p>\n<p>Researchers from Sweden\u2019s Karolinska Institute analysed health records from 3.7 million people born between 1987 and 2021.<\/p>\n<p>975 of these had been diagnosed with a so-called congenital \u201ctorch\u201d infection \u2013  a group of parasitic, bacterial and viral diseases.<\/p>\n<p>Children known to have had one of these before birth were around three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism, and seven times more likely to have an intellectual disability.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers also found that those who had been infected, but had neither of these tended to have slightly lower school grades at 16.<\/p>\n<p>Family circumstances not a factor<\/p>\n<p>To check whether genetics or family circumstances might have affected the result, the researchers compared the affected children with siblings who had not contracted a congenital infection, but the associations with autism and intellectual disability remained. <\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/flights-delayed-by-new-air-traffic-control-failure-4779875?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122823_413_SEI_311420523_83fc27.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">4 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/inews-lifestyle\/children-baby-bust-devastating-primary-schools-4744311?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122824_488_SEI_310746128.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Big Read<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">7 min read<\/p>\n<p>\nA low chance of infection\n<\/p>\n<p>Experts emphasised that infections are very rare, occurring in only around 2.5 per 10,000 births.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122825_760_SEI_313514371.jpg\" alt=\"A healthcare professional uses a syringe to draw liquid medicine from a vial.\" class=\"wp-image-4782308\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: A healthcare professional uses a syringe to draw liquid medicine from a vial.<br \/>Photographer: Catherine Falls Commercial<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Moment RF<\/p>\n<p>The authors said the study strengthened the case for vaccination and other measures that stop infections being passed on to the foetus.<\/p>\n<p>\nLimitations to the study\n<\/p>\n<p>The observational study cannot prove that the infections caused autism.<\/p>\n<p>It also relied on clinically diagnosed congenital infections, meaning that milder or symptom-free infections could have been missed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--badge\">world<\/p>\n<p>Why CNN thinks it can sue its way back into White House<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122827_409_SEI_313518626.jpg\" alt=\"US President Donald Trump takes a question from NBC reporter Kelly O'Donnell in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 18, 2026. (Photo by Jim WATSON \/ AFP via Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4782487\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: US President Donald Trump takes a question from NBC reporter Kelly O\u2019Donnell in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 18, 2026. (Photo by Jim WATSON \/ AFP via Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: JIM WATSON<br \/>Provider: AFP via Getty Images<br \/>Source: AFP<br \/>Copyright: AFP or licensors<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122828_272_nick-miller-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--byline_name\">Nick Miller<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--byline_job-title\">Overnight Editor<\/p>\n<p>After reporters from CNN, MS Now and Politico were denied entry to the White House, the media organisations headed for the courts to get their access back.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of the media suspended some coverage of Donald Trump in sympathy, but he has not backed down, setting up his own \u201cTrump TV\u201d live channel.<\/p>\n<p>\nWhat happened?\n<\/p>\n<p>Mid-afternoon Friday, DC time, Trump officially banned CNN, MS Now and\u00a0Politico\u00a0from the White House, explaining it was \u201ca result of\u00a0their constant \u2018reporting\u2019 FAKE NEWS!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122829_563_SEI_313518614.jpg\" alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 21: Signs of support for AP, CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO hang on the White House grounds on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. Reporters from MS NOW, CNN, and Politico have been blocked from accessing the White House since September 19th after President Trump said he was banning the three outlets from the property. Those news organizations are now suing President Trump, alleging that it violates the First Amendment. (Photo by Finn Gomez\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4782488\" style=\"aspect-ratio:5\/4;object-fit:cover;width:204px\"\/>Caption: WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 SEPTEMBER 21: Signs of support for AP, CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO hang on the White House grounds on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. Reporters from MS NOW, CNN, and Politico have been blocked from accessing the White House since September 19th after President Trump said he was banning the three outlets from the property. Those news organizations are now suing President Trump, alleging that it violates the First Amendment. (Photo by Finn Gomez\/Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: Finn Gomez<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Getty Images North America<br \/>Copyright: 2026 Getty Images<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"428\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122831_290_SEI_313518149.jpg\" alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House on September 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump was hosting the dinner for hunters, anglers and outdoor industry leaders after signing executive orders expanding hunting and fishing on public lands and reversing certain restrictions enacted in the Biden administration. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4782474\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9\/10;object-fit:cover;width:195px\"\/>Caption: WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 SEPTEMBER 17: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House on September 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump was hosting the dinner for hunters, anglers and outdoor industry leaders after signing executive orders expanding hunting and fishing on public lands and reversing certain restrictions enacted in the Biden administration.  (Photo by Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: Anna Moneymaker<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Getty Images North America<br \/>Copyright: 2026 Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>He threatened that \u201cOther Fake News Media Outlets [are] to follow\u201d, adding \u201c[t]here\u2019s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\nWhy might ban be illegal?\n<\/p>\n<p>The media companies\u2019 legal argument rests on three grounds: that the ban did not follow \u201cdue process\u201d such as allowing notice; that it violates a constitutional right to free speech and that it also violates free speech by denying access to a \u201cnon-public forum\u201d (the White House).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122832_270_SEI_313518144.jpg\" alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 20: The White House is seen from the South Lawn on September 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court let construction resume on the ballroom on August 31 in a 5-4 ruling. The Trump administration has also built a new heli-pad on White House grounds and is moving forward with plans for a \" triumphal=\"\" arch=\"\" by=\"\" samuel=\"\" corum=\"\" images=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4782470\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 SEPTEMBER 20: The White House is seen from the South Lawn on September 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court let construction resume on the ballroom on August 31 in a 5-4 ruling. The Trump administration has also built a new heli-pad on White House grounds and is moving forward with plans for a \u201ctriumphal arch\u201d. (Photo by Samuel Corum\/Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: Samuel Corum<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Getty Images North America<br \/>Copyright: 2026 Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Washington DC\u2019s district court judge Timothy Kelly ordered that the defendants file a response the next day, with a hearing set for Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>What did Trump say?<\/p>\n<p>Trump claimed to have \u201cexpected\u201d\u00a0the lawsuit,\u00a0and again attacked\u00a0the media organisations, saying the Oval Office \u201cshould be treated with Decorum, Respect, and Dignity, not defiled by Third Rate Clowns\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>But he seemed to anticipate being ruled against in the court, saying \u201cwe\u2019ll go for appeal\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/world\/big-red-truck-china-overtaking-west-4767547?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122833_152_SEI_313437221.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">3 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/world\/maga-diehards-rejected-conspiracies-trump-4757029?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122834_777_SEI_312692176.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">5 min read<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122835_259_SEI_313518146.jpg\" alt=\"WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: Timothy J. Kelly, nominee to be a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill, June 28, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4782473\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 JUNE 28: Timothy J. Kelly, nominee to be a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill, June 28, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: Drew Angerer<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Getty Images North America<br \/>Copyright: 2017 Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>What does the law say?<\/p>\n<p>Timothy Kelly previously ruled on a similar case. In 2018, he ordered that a CNN reporter should get his White House press pass back after he was banned following\u00a0a contentious exchange with the President.<\/p>\n<p>Experts note that because a system has been created that allows journalists access to parts of the White House, courts have placed limits on how access can be withdrawn.<\/p>\n<p>But, an appellate court previously ruled that presidents retain substantial authority\u00a0over who they allow into limited-access settings.<\/p>\n<p>Are other media taking sides?<\/p>\n<p>Major US television outlets\u00a0agreed to suspend\u00a0some video coverage of Trump, in a demonstration of solidarity with the banned channels.<\/p>\n<p>No broadcaster covered the ribbon-cutting for the White House\u2019s new helipad, and the President\u2019s remarks were inaudible on a hastily-arranged live stream.<\/p>\n<p>Media organisations also joined in a boycott of the photographic pool at the White House.<\/p>\n<p>There was normal media coverage for the President\u2019s visit to meet New York City Mayor\u00a0Zohran Mamdani, who said he had told Trump that all members of the press would be present.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122837_393_SEI_313503234.jpg\" alt=\"CANTERBURY, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: Staff and students, some wearing face masks, queue to receive antibiotics at the University of Kent in Canterbury after an outbreak of meningitis caused the deaths of two people, on March 16, 2026 in Canterbury, United Kingdom. Two people have died amid an outbreak of meningitis at the University of Kent in Canterbury. Thirteen cases have been reported since Friday, reportedly affecting university students aged between 18 and 21. Children and young people are the most at risk of the disease, often caused by a bacterial or viral infection, which leads to inflammation of the meninges, or protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is contacting 30,000 students and staff of the university to notify them of the outbreak. (Photo by Carl Court\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4781853\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: CANTERBURY, ENGLAND \u2013 MARCH 16: Staff and students, some wearing face masks, queue to receive antibiotics at the University of Kent in Canterbury after an outbreak of meningitis caused the deaths of two people, on March 16, 2026 in Canterbury, United Kingdom. Two people have died amid an outbreak of meningitis at the University of Kent in Canterbury. Thirteen cases have been reported since Friday, reportedly affecting university students aged between 18 and 21. Children and young people are the most at risk of the disease, often caused by a bacterial or viral infection, which leads to inflammation of the meninges, or protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is contacting 30,000 students and staff of the university to notify them of the outbreak. (Photo by Carl Court\/Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: Carl Court<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Getty Images Europe<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--badge\">news<\/p>\n<p>Analysis reveals why Kent meningitis outbreak was so severe<\/p>\n<p>Scientists have revealed what made the bacteria behind a deadly meningitis B outbreak in Kent in March particularly dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>The context<\/p>\n<p>Twenty-one people were diagnosed with invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in a week, in the outbreak which was linked to a nightclub in Canterbury.<\/p>\n<p>Two teenagers died and nine required intensive care.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/alzheimers-care-targets-4774676?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122837_577_SEI_312959802.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Exclusive<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">3 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/health\/how-people-adhd-benefits-cut-4773754?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122838_722_GettyImages-2190839504.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Explained<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">3 min read<\/p>\n<p>\nWhy it was so dangerous\n<\/p>\n<p>Experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and University of Oxford found that the bacteria underwent a process called horizontal gene transfer \u2013 where it picked up small pieces of DNA from other bacteria.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122839_36_SEI_313503235.jpg\" alt=\"A female African-American scientist conducting and research on scientific sample though a microscope in a pharmaceutical laboratory.\" class=\"wp-image-4781854\" style=\"aspect-ratio:5\/4;object-fit:cover;width:204px\"\/>Caption: A female African-American scientist conducting and research on scientific sample though a microscope  in a pharmaceutical laboratory.<br \/>Photographer: Nitat Termmee<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Moment RF<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122841_210_SEI_313503233.jpg\" alt=\"Meningococcus seen under a scanning electron microscope. (Photo by: BSIP\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4781851\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9\/10;object-fit:cover;width:195px\"\/>Caption: Meningococcus seen under a scanning electron microscope. (Photo by: BSIP\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: BSIP<br \/>Provider: Universal Images Group via Getty<br \/>Source: Universal Images Group Editorial<br \/>Copyright: CAVALLINI JAMES \/ BSIP<\/p>\n<p>This means the bacteria can borrow genetic traits without reproducing and changes how it interacts with human cells. The change made it particularly effective at causing severe illness and may have affected how the immune system recognised it.<\/p>\n<p>How the UK is trying to prevent future outbreaks<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122842_242_SEI_313503323.jpg\" alt=\"teenage girl receiving her Covid-19 vaccination from a nurse\" class=\"wp-image-4781852\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: teenage girl receiving her Covid-19 vaccination from a nurse<br \/>Photographer: Thana Prasongsin<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Moment RF<br \/>Copyright: ja<\/p>\n<p>The UKHSA has said these invasive strains are unpredictable and can emerge suddenly, meaning there is a high likelihood of this happening again.<\/p>\n<p>Following the Kent outbreak, a one-off menB vaccination programme was launched as universities start again.<\/p>\n<p>What else is being done?<\/p>\n<p>The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has also recommended that teenagers be offered the jab on the NHS at the age of 15.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/meningitis-cases-rise-34-fears-outbreak-beyond-kent-4309789?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122843_366_SEI_290275477.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">2 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/opinion\/canterbury-what-people-saying-meningitis-outbreak-4299884?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122843_426_SEI_289843729.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">4 min read<\/p>\n<p>How PIP claims for ADHD are rising for teens in richer areas<\/p>\n<p>The number of 16- to 17-year-olds claiming personal independence payment (PIP) for ADHD and autism has more than tripled in richer areas over six years, according to analysis by the Nuffield Trust.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122845_973_SEI_313506521.jpg\" alt=\"Close-up on digital tablet on desk top. (Mock-up.)\" class=\"wp-image-4781936\" style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: Close-up on digital tablet on desk top. (Mock-up.)<br \/>Photographer: John_Lamb<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: iStockphoto<\/p>\n<p>What is PIP for?<\/p>\n<p>PIP is the main benefit paid to people who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and is intended to help with everyday tasks and living costs. <\/p>\n<p>According to government statistics from July, there were 4.1 million claimants entitled to PIP in England and Wales.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/first-time-buyer-isa-new-plan-fix-slow-housing-market-crash-4774883?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122845_441_SEI_313444897.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Big Read<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">5 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/politics\/reform-council-meltdown-car-park-cut-grass-4776119?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122846_148_SEI_312986648.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">4 min read<\/p>\n<p>\nA closer look at the figures\n<\/p>\n<p>While the amount of teenagers claiming PIP in deprived areas is higher, the number has grown at a slower rate, from 2.1 per cent in 2019 to 5.1 per cent last year. <\/p>\n<p>This compares to a rise from 0.8 per cent to 2.5 per cent for teenagers from the least-deprived neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"430\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122847_632_SEI_313506523.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4781937\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Photographer: Maskot<br \/>Provider: Getty Images\/Maskot<br \/>Source: Maskot<br \/>Copyright: Copyright Maskot<\/p>\n<p>The think-tank also found that PIP recipient rates for ADHD and autism for white people were higher overall than those of other ethnicities.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"483\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122849_7_SEI_313508969.jpg\" alt=\"Former British nurse and convicted child serial killer Lucy Letby appears by video link during an appeal against her conviction for trying to murder a newborn baby, at the Court of Appeal in London, Britain, October 24, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. Courtesy of Julia Quenzler\/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT\" class=\"wp-image-4782096\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: Former British nurse and convicted child serial killer Lucy Letby appears by video link during an appeal against her conviction for trying to murder a newborn baby, at the Court of Appeal in London, Britain, October 24, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. Courtesy of Julia Quenzler\/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT<br \/>Photographer: Julia Quenzler<br \/>Provider: via REUTERS<br \/>Source: Handout<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--badge\">news<\/p>\n<p>The new claims about Lucy Letby \u2013 and what it means for appeal<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122849_547_Stephen-Robson.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover\"\/> <\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--byline_name\">Steve Robson<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--byline_job-title\">Northern Correspondent<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/lucy-letby?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lucy Letby<\/a>\u00a0has failed \u2013 twice \u2013 to get judges to overturn her convictions for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more. However, fresh claims that her prosecution is a major miscarriage of justice have been made in the new documentary, Lucy Letby \u2013 Scapegoat?, a collaboration between\u00a0The Sun\u00a0and Channel 5.<\/p>\n<p>\n\u2018Letby was a scapegoat\u2019\n<\/p>\n<p>A doctor who worked alongside Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital says he believes the evidence used to convict her is \u201cextremely poor\u201d and that there was no killer on the neonatal unit, saying instead she was a \u201cscapegoat\u201d used by hospital bosses to cover up the unit\u2019s poor performance.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122851_299_SEI_313509021.jpg\" alt=\"CHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 03: General view of the Countess of Chester Hospital on July 3, 2018 in Chester, United Kingdom. Health care worker at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Lucy Letby, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies. Cheshire Police having been have been investigating the deaths of 17 newborns at the neonatal unit between March 2015 and July 2016. (Photo by Anthony Devlin\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4782093\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: CHESTER, ENGLAND \u2013 JULY 03:  General view of the Countess of Chester Hospital on July 3, 2018 in Chester, United Kingdom. Health care worker at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Lucy Letby, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies.  Cheshire Police having been have been investigating the deaths of 17 newborns at the neonatal unit between March 2015 and July 2016.  (Photo by Anthony Devlin\/Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: Anthony Devlin<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Getty Images Europe<br \/>Copyright: ANTHONY DEVLIN<\/p>\n<p>Individual failings and sub-optimal care at the hospital were discussed at length during both of\u00a0Letby\u2019s trials, but prosecutors insisted they did not explain the deaths.<\/p>\n<p>Some details \u2018not shared with jury\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The documentary claims there was a set of results relating to a baby who was poisoned by Letby that were not shared with the jury.<\/p>\n<p>Letby was convicted of attempting to murder two babies by secretly injecting insulin into IV bags which were being used to treat them.<\/p>\n<p>During the trial, jurors were told how a blood result for Baby F pointed to insulin coming from an external source rather than being produced by the body.<\/p>\n<p>The Sun\u00a0now claims that there were a further 14 glucose readings which were \u201cnormal\u201d at the time Baby F was poisoned but that this evidence was not shown to the jury.<\/p>\n<p>Retired detective Stuart Clifton, who investigated killer nurse\u00a0Beverley Allitt, said the result should offer \u201cclear grounds for appeal\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Baby died \u2018after Letby left the unit\u2019<\/p>\n<p>A\u00a0mother has said her baby suddenly collapsed at the hospital and later died, six months after Letby was taken off the unit.<\/p>\n<p>The statistics around the unusual number of collapses and deaths at the Countess of Chester between 2015 and 2016 were a key part of the prosecution case.<\/p>\n<p>There were a total of 12 deaths from 2010-14 and then eight in 2015. Since Letby left the unit in July 2016, there has only been one.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/how-irritated-russia-more-risks-shadow-fleet-warships-4774893?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122852_134_SEI_313290067.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Exclusive<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">3 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/24-british-towns-exposed-putin-4776128?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122852_165_SEI_254550148.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Big Read<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">5 min read<\/p>\n<p>Expert questions method of alleged murders<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"429\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122854_330_SEI_313509024.jpg\" alt=\"LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Supporters of Lucy Letby gather outside the Thirwall Inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall on September 15, 2026 in Liverpool, England. The public inquiry led by Lady Justice Thirlwall into the events around neonatal nurse Lucy Letby's murders of babies at the Countess of Chester hospital in northwest England is publishing its findings on Tuesday. Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders following her convictions for the murder of seven infants and attempted murder of seven others, between June 2015 and June 2016. ( (Photo by Christopher Furlong\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4782094\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/>Caption: LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND \u2013 SEPTEMBER 15: Supporters of Lucy Letby gather outside the Thirwall Inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall on September 15, 2026 in Liverpool, England. The public inquiry led by Lady Justice Thirlwall into the events around neonatal nurse Lucy Letby\u2019s murders of babies at the Countess of Chester hospital in northwest England is publishing its findings on Tuesday. Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders following her convictions for the murder of seven infants and attempted murder of seven others, between June 2015 and June 2016. ( (Photo by Christopher Furlong\/Getty Images)<br \/>Photographer: Christopher Furlong<br \/>Provider: Getty Images<br \/>Source: Getty Images Europe<br \/>Copyright: 2026 Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>One of the methods by which Letby was said to have murdered babies was injecting them with air to cause an air embolism.<\/p>\n<p>However, vascular surgeon Dr Colin Ferguson told The Sun: \u201cThe fact that in no case was air found in the heart at post-mortem means that this is just not true.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Email \u2018undermines doctor\u2019s evidence\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Following her retrial, Letby was convicted of attempting to murder a baby by removing her breathing tube.<\/p>\n<p>Senior doctor Ravi Jayaram claimed that he walked in to find Baby K having collapsed with Letby standing over her cot doing nothing. <\/p>\n<p>However the documentary obtained a contemporaneous email written by Jayaram which said that Letby called him for help.<\/p>\n<p>The discrepancy over whether Jayaram went in because he was worried or because Letby called him for help was highlighted in the Thirlwall public inquiry into her case.<\/p>\n<p>What happens now?<\/p>\n<p>Letby remains in prison and her only avenue to clear her name is an application to the miscarriages of justice watchdog the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).<\/p>\n<p>The CCRC is currently considering her application but there is no timeline as to when it will decide whether it believes Letby\u2019s case should be referred back to the Court of Appeal or not. Only a fraction of all applications submitted are successful.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/five-claims-lucy-letby-appeal-4780810?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122854_716_SEI_313440126.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_label\">Analysis<\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">4 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_thumbnail post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/media\/true-crime-shows-why-watch-netflix-lucy-letby-film-with-caution-4213104?ico=in-line_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790122855_500_SEI_283410121-e1770288434910.jpg\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" alt=\"\"\/><br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"inews--shorts-card--article_min-read\">3 min read<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/inews-theme\/assets\/images\/chevron.svg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Awak said: \u201cWe were at risk of dying, and not knowing what will happen to our kids\u2026Now [the Government] is trying to shift the goal posts in the middle of the match. It\u2019s really, really unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Several health and social care organisations have condemned the proposed changes to ILR requirements, warning that making the<a href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/politics\/hidden-flaws-home-office-migration-tax-care-4165547?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> country less attractive to migrants <\/a>will cause the NHS to miss waiting list targets.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We came here to save lives\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Awak, now living in Bedfordshire, had a career in healthcare in Nigeria but decided to bring his family to the UK on the <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/visa-crackdown-forces-dwp-benefit-staff-job-coaches-leave-uk-4297830?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">skilled worker visa<\/a> route when he \u201csaw the number of deaths from Covid\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe came here to help the system and to save lives,\u201d he said. \u201cThere was lots of applause [during the pandemic] that we put our lives on the line to save the population of UK citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, he feels that <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/care-workers-turned-away-despite-96000-vacancies-4773453?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">migrant health care workers<\/a> have a become a \u201csoft target\u201d for a Government under pressure to bring down net migration figures, which he feels is \u201cungrateful\u201d and \u201cunfair\u201d after what they contributed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are not fleecing the economy, we are making vital contributions,\u201d he said. \u201cI paid over \u00a317,000 in taxes last year, and that doesn\u2019t include what my wife paid\u2026.to be labelled as if you were a parasite is very uncalled for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019ll leave if the rules are changed\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Ene (who did not wish to give his real name), 40, a care worker living in Surrey, told The i Paper he has already received job offers in Canada and Australia and plans to take them up if the Government\u2019s plans to extend the wait for ILR come into force.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Government is telling us now that the rules that are applicable are not the rules from when you were entering,\u201d he said. \u201cIt means in another 15 years, the Government might reinvent another rule and tell you, \u2018oh, you need to spend 10 more years\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"   height=\"473\" width=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SEI_310228949-e1790083617332.jpg\" alt=\"LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Secretary of State for the Home Department, Shabana Mahmood, arrives to attend the weekly government cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street on September 01, 2026 in London, England. The cabinet meeting was held as the House of Commons returned from summer recess. (Photo by Leon Neal\/Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-4742570\"\/>Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced the controversial plans to tighten migration rules (Photo: Leon Neal\/Getty)<\/p>\n<p>Under the proposed changes, called \u201cearned settlement\u201d, care workers could face a wait of up to 15 years for ILR because their work is considered medium-skilled, where radiographers are classed as higher skilled.<\/p>\n<p>Ene and his wife, also a care worker, have been saving up to apply for ILR since they arrived in 2022, as it will cost close to \u00a315,000 for the application including their two children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEach time my eight-year-old asks me if it means we have to leave the country, I tell her \u2018No, no, no,&#8217;\u201d he said. \u201c[But] she sees the worries, she sees the <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/anxiety?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">anxiety<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The NHS will collapse\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Dean Rogers, from the Society of Radiographers, said his organisation \u201cemphatically rejects the Government\u2019s earned settlement proposals\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He said at a recent event in Parliament organised by the Work Rights Centre, a charity which supports migrant workers: \u201cGovernment has a choice. Meet your arbitrary immigration targets or fail to meet waiting list reduction targets or cancer targets. You can\u2019t do both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Internationally trained professionals now make up almost a third of the UK\u2019s diagnostic radiographers, but registrations have fallen since May 2026, according to the society.<\/p>\n<p>Rogers attributes this directly to the Government\u2019s \u201chostile environment policy\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Mahmood\u2019s reforms <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/news\/politics\/exempt-care-workers-hardline-immigration-reforms-4737613?srsltid=AU7gw4XPVc0q8lVo7o4D8dSNIQhdFnZL9haFDcrcE9GQND3_2o--gBgI&amp;ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">are designed to address concerns<\/a> that hundreds of thousands of immigrants could soon be given the right to stay in the UK permanently and access <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/benefits?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">benefits<\/a> as migrant numbers went up from 2021 and peaked at 944,000 in the year ending March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The number of <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/migrants?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">migrants<\/a> entering the country has since been falling to record lows due to various visa restrictions imposed by the Conservatives and <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/labour-party?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Labour<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>Michaela Chen from the Work Rights Centre  said: \u201cWe urge this Government to abandon these harmful proposals, and honour its promises to people who have already sacrificed so much to work in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout the contributions of expatriates, whom you call migrant workers, the NHS will collapse,\u201d Awak agreed. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you have until you\u2019ve lost it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/opinion\/asylum-policy-sounds-fair-reaches-your-town-4721400?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Home Secretary<\/a> is expected to announce a final decision on whether her changes will apply to an estimated 1.6 million immigrants who are set to qualify for ILR between 2026 and 2030 later this year.<\/p>\n<p>A <a class=\"post_in-line_link\" href=\"https:\/\/inews.co.uk\/topic\/home-office?ico=in-line_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Home Office<\/a> spokesperson said it will \u201cset out its response\u201d to a consultation on the changes \u201cin due course\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When diagnostic radiographer Paul Awak, 39, came to the UK in 2021, he didn\u2019t know whether he and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":779421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,26292,2795,2053,290,104,56,54,55,11854],"class_list":["post-779420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-home-office","tag-immigration","tag-labour-party","tag-migrants","tag-nhs","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-visas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=779420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/779421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=779420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=779420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=779420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}