Thousands of migrants are securing permanent residence in Britain every week as Labour remains divided over plans to tighten the settlement system.

More than 200,000 people have received indefinite leave to remain since ministers first proposed stricter rules last year. The status allows them to stay in the UK for life and potentially access benefits, NHS treatment and social housing.

However, the proposed crackdown remains uncertain after a backlash led by Angela Rayner and trade unions. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has recently suggested that ministers may be forced to soften the measures.

Until then, at least 5,000 people a week who arrived legally on visas and have lived in Britain for five years are reaching the threshold for settlement.

The pace is expected to accelerate in the months ahead, as people who arrived during the record immigration surge that followed the pandemic become eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, told the Daily Mail that hundreds of predominantly low-paid or unemployed migrants were gaining the right to remain permanently every day.

He said Ms Mahmood was refusing to introduce her own proposed changes, despite acknowledging that reform was necessary to save taxpayers £10 billion.

Mr Philp accused the Home Secretary of delaying the policy because she feared opposition from Angela Rayner and Labour’s left wing, adding that she lacked the resolve to carry out her plans.

He warned that the Government appeared close to abandoning the proposed reforms, which he said would allow hundreds of thousands of low-paid and unemployed migrants to remain in Britain permanently.

Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s spokesman for home affairs, accused Ms Mahmood of giving in to what he called Labour’s “open-borders zealots”.

He said Labour’s internal divisions meant more migrants would secure indefinite leave to remain and unrestricted access to the welfare system, claiming Andy Burnham had failed to control Ms Rayner and Labour backbenchers.

Under the current system, migrants who have lived and worked in the UK for five years can apply for indefinite leave to remain. The status allows them to stay indefinitely, seek benefits and apply for British citizenship after a further year.

Last May, when Yvette Cooper was Home Secretary, the Government proposed an “earned settlement” system. Under the plan, the standard qualifying period would double to 10 years amid warnings that large numbers of migrants were approaching eligibility.

The Government’s Immigration White Paper said the exceptionally high level of net migration between 2019 and 2024 meant that many more people were likely to qualify for settlement and citizenship over the following years.

In November last year, Ms Mahmood said she wanted the tougher requirements to apply retrospectively. Without reform, she warned, 1.6 million people would qualify for settlement between 2026 and 2030.

During a speech this year, she estimated that the group’s “lifetime cost to the taxpayer” would reach £10 billion. She said it included large numbers of low-skilled workers and their dependants.

The proposal triggered an angry response from Labour MPs, who accused ministers of “moving the goalposts” for people already living in the UK.

While out of government, Ms Rayner described the retrospective element as “un-British” and a “breach of trust”. Despite returning to Cabinet collective responsibility, she repeated her opposition as recently as last month.

Britain’s biggest trade union Unison wants care workers to be exempted from the proposed rules, and its general secretary Andrea Egan even claimed: ‘Shabana Mahmood’s proposals have fuelled the far-Right.’

Then the Home Secretary hinted at a climbdown, saying: ‘We will come to a position that balances fairness for those who came here legally and fairness to British citizens.’

Latest official figures show that 199,628 people were granted settlement in the 12 months to June, beginning immediately after the White Paper’s call for action.

If grants have continued at the same rate it would mean another 5,675 settling every week, and well over 200,000 gaining indefinite leave to remain since Ms Mahmood’s detailed plan was announced in November.

The pressure group MigrationWatch UK estimates 225,000 qualified for indefinite leave to remain in the past 11 months. 

Chairman Alp Mehmet asked of Andy Burnham: ‘Will you have the courage to back your Home Secretary and extend the ILR qualifying period or will you bottle it and defy public opinion?’

The consultation on the proposal, which received 200,000 responses, closed in February, but the Home Office has not responded. Immigration rules were updated last week with no mention of ILR. 

The Home Office said: ‘We are considering responses to our consultation on elements of these reforms.’

Stylists have weighed in on Katie Zacharia’s fashion choices during her brief stint as White House press secretary.

The 41-year-old was asked to resign on Friday after a shaky first press briefing and revelations that she had not passed the bar exam, despite describing herself as an attorney.

Although her time in the role was short, Zacharia offered the public a glimpse of her approach to political dressing.

For the awkward briefing, the mother of four wore a white ascot-tie V-neck blouse beneath a $795 navy double-breasted Veronica Beard blazer, teamed with a matching pencil skirt.

She completed the outfit with loose blonde curls and pointed-toe heels.

Audrey Charlyes Jacquet, a luxury fashion expert and founder of Maison Charlyes Jacquet, called the ensemble “classic armor.”

“It borrows from military dress and tries to say ‘lawyer’ before she opens her mouth,” Jacquet told the Daily Mail. “The problem is that the suit made a promise the briefing didn’t keep.”

“Fourteen minutes and three questions is a lot of gold buttons for very little command,” the stylist added.

The look, however, appeared to attract little praise from fashion professionals.

Fashion stylist Phyllis Leibowitz said Zacharia’s outfit immediately drew her attention—for all the wrong reasons.

She identified the white blouse as the main problem, saying: “It was VERY confusing. As soon as I saw her at the podium, I had a visceral, guttural reaction.”

“I’ve been a fashion stylist for a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like it. In fact, I’m not even sure I know how to describe it properly.”

Leibowitz said the blouse’s “cheap-looking” fabric competed with Zacharia’s remarks, explaining: “Because it was bright white, it distracted from her face.”

“She has a fab figure, and I thought her navy suit fit really well in full-length photos, but up close, the complicated neckline was too distracting alongside the blazer’s large gold buttons.”

“When she stood at the podium, there was simply too much going on. I style women very differently when they are only going to be seen from the waist up—you want the focus to remain on her face and what she has to say.”

On other occasions, Zacharia was photographed leaving Air Force One in a black, long-sleeved turtleneck maxi dress featuring a side slit and ruched detailing. She was also seen on television wearing a vivid red top beneath a black blazer.

But how did her style compare to that of her predecessor, 29-year-old Karoline Leavitt?

Leavitt, who officially retired from her post as spokesperson back in August, regularly flaunted her accessible fashion choices with Zara being one of the go-to brands for the mom-of-one.

Earlier this week, she continued to turn up her influencer charm by welcoming questions from her 3.1 million Instagram followers.

Asked about her style, she admitted shopping is her ‘weakness’ before reeling off a list of her favorite brands that included a broad range from Ralph Lauren to TJ Maxx.

Jacquet told the Daily Mail: ‘Karoline Leavitt dressed like the campaign never ended: bright, fitted sheath dresses, the cross necklace, polished but accessible. 

‘Her wardrobe sat mostly in the contemporary tier, labels like Self-Portrait, where a dress costs a few hundred dollars, not a few thousand. It read as young, on-message and camera-ready.’

She added: ‘Katie Zacharia dressed for a different job, or at least a different picture of the job.’ 

New York City-based fashion stylist Liz Teich told the Daily Mail that Leavitt’s wardrobe ‘felt a bit more polished and professional than what we saw during Katie Zacharia’s short stint.’

She continued of Zacharia’s few appearances: ‘She seemed to aim to fit the mold of a typical woman in Trump’s orbit with her wardrobe, hair and makeup, which often appeared overdone. 

‘Her outfits also didn’t quite read as professional and something you’d expect within the White House, but rather more what one thinks would be professional, but just a bit too tight and low cut.’

Teich concluded: ‘Trump clearly has a type, and hopefully we’ll see someone with the skills, credentials and professional style to fill the role next.’

Wardrobe consultant Amanda Sanders agreed, saying that there was a ‘noticeable difference’ between the pair.

She explained that while Leavitt ‘favoured a more conservative, classic approach to dressing,’ Zacharia’s ‘felt more overtly glamorous.’

‘Neither woman needs to dress like the other. But there is a difference between looking fashionable and looking appropriately styled for the role you hold. 

‘In politics, your wardrobe should support your credibility, not distract from it… The strongest political wardrobes are consistent, appropriate and memorable for the right reasons.’

Sanders finished by stating: ‘I would not tell [Zacharia] to abandon glamour or femininity. I would tell her to edit, refine and elevate…

‘As a stylist, my job is never simply to put someone in a beautiful outfit. It is to make sure the entire look communicates who they are, what they represent and how they want to be perceived.’

Violence that erupted in France has spilled into other parts of Europe, with Milan descending into disorder for a second consecutive night as far-Left groups were accused of fuelling unrest across the continent.

President Emmanuel Macron pledged to prosecute those who had “sought to bring down the Republic” after a weekend of turmoil involving around half a million demonstrators.

The unrest reached Italy on Sunday, where rioters were filmed throwing bottles, looting shops and damaging property.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called an emergency security meeting as the violence unfolded, evoking scenes of looting and destruction reported in Paris.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump blamed immigration for the turmoil in France, where a historic town hall was set ablaze, businesses were ransacked and hundreds of people were injured.

As unrest spread to Milan and Lisbon over the weekend, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “France is burning!”

“The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country,” he wrote.

“Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!”

Kirill Dmitriev, a liaison between Vladimir Putin and Washington, said: “Left-wing globalists are sowing migration-driven chaos.”

The demonstrations began a month ago with teachers and students protesting staff shortages before expanding into a broader movement over soaring prices.

The protests have since attracted hard-Left politicians and activists, including Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the France Unbowed party.

Footage from the weekend showed looters breaking into luxury stores in France and carrying away high-end goods amid what authorities described as “unrestrained violence”.

Videos showed dozens of hooded young men flooding outlets including Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton, stripping shelves of jewellery and expensive clothing.

President Macron blamed “agitators from far-Left fringe groups, joined by numerous criminals” for unleashing what he called “unbridled violence” across the country.

He also appealed for “unity” after the unrest, during which nearly 2,400 people were arrested. Almost 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously.

Clashes in Milan began on Saturday on the margins of an authorised cost-of-living rally. Further disorder was reported in the northern cities of Bologna and Turin after separate demonstrations.

On Sunday, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse groups in the Milan square and photographs showed young people, many wearing masks, throwing objects at police cars.

A supermarket on a shopping street leading off the Duomo plaza was ransacked, rubbish cans overturned and scooters and bicycles vandalised.

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The mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, said he had witnessed ‘smashed shop windows, looted stores, and frightened citizens’.

‘What happened here is what we are seeing in many cities around the world,’ he said.

‘I’m very worried because it’s a new phenomenon, which also originates from an international scenario and therefore feeds itself.’

Prime Minister Meloni on Saturday called the vandals ‘thugs who exploit demonstrations to spread chaos, attack those who guarantee security, and hold entire cities hostage’.

‘To demonstrate is a right. To lay our cities to waste is not,’ she wrote on X.

Government ministers joined Ms Meloni in condemning the attacks. Matteo Salvini, head of the hard-Right League party and deputy prime minister, described the scenes as ‘urban warfare’.

Portugal was also swayed by the unrest, with demonstrators protesting against housing shortages, increasing rents and low wages over the weekend on Rossio Square in central Lisbon.

Banners held up by protesters demanded higher wages and pensions and focused on the rising cost of housing and fuel. 

In a live TV address on Sunday night, Mr Macron said: ‘Looking at these images, we have all asked ourselves how French people could do this to France.

‘Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it.

‘Those who looted will have to pay back for the damage, and those who sought to bring down the Republic will be held accountable.’

One of the most dramatic images was that of the historic clock tower of 140-year-old Limoges town hall crumbling in an inferno. On Sunday, the town’s mayor Guillaume Guerin took aim at extremists for ‘whipping the kids into a frenzy’.

He said: ‘Those who organise everything, who bring the battering rams, who smash the windows and identify the basement entrances in this town hall so they can get in – they are not the kids.

‘They are people who are organised to wage war.’ He added: ‘The logistics, the organisation, the premeditation behind yesterday’s attack on the town hall is something I find unbearable.’

Another defining image came from Paris where a female protester tried to stop thugs looting a grocery store. Blocking them from entering through a smashed door, she pleaded: ‘Why are you doing this? Stop! This isn’t the cause!’ But the masked rioters smashed past her.

Stores selling trainers or smartphones were a particular target for the looters, many of whom travelled around on rental e-bikes.

‘It was apocalyptic,’ a police commander told Le Parisien newspaper. ‘Law enforcement was unable to contain the multitude of simultaneous attacks across the country.’

After Mr Macron’s speech, rioters and looters returned to the streets of Paris, setting up barricades and engaging in running battles with police. ‘We are here because we want Macron to resign,’ one demonstrator said.

A Gold Coast butcher says he has been warned that he could face a fine of up to $1,600 after a council inspector shut down his popular free weekly sausage sizzle.

Maaki Tyson, co-owner of Lakeside Quality Meats in Palm Beach, was told to stop the community barbecue because it was allegedly being held without the required permit.

“He said you haven’t got a permit for the barbecue, you haven’t got a permit for the roadside dining or the table,” Mr Tyson told news.com.au.

Mr Tyson said he and several customers were unhappy with the way the inspector delivered the message, describing the official as being “about as popular as a fart in a space suit”.

“I’m like, well hang on, it’s a free community event,” he said.

“I think he was doing his job, but the way he went about it was just wrong.”

“A lot of customers were pretty upset and probably vocalised that to him, but he hung around for about an hour or so until we’d finished cleaning everything up.”

Mr Tyson said the situation was made worse when he was told a fine of up to $1,600 could arrive in the mail. The weekly event costs the business about $35,000 a year to run.

“We just wanted to help our business but also help the community, so we get some homeless people that live in a park across the road,” he said.

“They come over on Saturday.”

“We get people after they’ve been to the local market; also kids after sport; it’s just become a fun thing to do.”

The latest intervention was not Mr Tyson’s first contact with the council. An inspector had previously raised concerns about signage at the Palm Beach butcher shop.

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However, Mr Tyson said that earlier warning did not address the way the sausage sizzle was being run.

“We had a council officer come a couple of months ago and give us a warning, because we had a couple of signs out, but he said nothing at all about the barbecue or the seating or anything,” he said.

Although he was disappointed that the sausage sizzle had been stopped and that he may receive a fine, Mr Tyson said he was grateful for the support from members of the public and the media.

“If we can’t have it the way it is, we’ll work our way around it,” he said.

“We’re not going to take it lying down,” he said.

Social media users have rallied behind Mr Tyson, with some criticising the council’s decision to shut down the free community event.

‘How about the council worry about other stuff than what these amazing butchers are doing,’ one said.  

‘I know there are laws but they are helping their community, surely this exempts them,’ a second said.

‘This defies belief, feeding the homeless is such a wonderful human thing to do,’ a third said. 

A City of Gold Coast spokesman confirmed to news.com.au that council officers ‘attended a business in Philippine Parade Palm Beach on Saturday, October 17’. 

‘The City will continue to work with the business to ensure all future events comply with relevant health and safety requirements,’ he said. 

Daily Mail has contacted the City of Gold Coast for additional comment.