Certain migrants could get “special treatment” under new Home Office rules. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, suggested that arrangements may be put in place for people from some groups as the Government aims to make it harder to stay in the Britain. Spouses and older people could be among those immune from a to double the time individuals need to live in the UK for in order to be granted permanent residency. Ms Mahmood said the Government could also “look at household income or individual income” and how children would be impacted.

There has been a backlash to plans to make the indefinite leave to remain period 10 years instead of five. Ms Mahmood told the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee: “What I would say to colleagues who have concerns in this area – we’re consulting on transitional arrangements and we have received a lot of consultation responses on what the transitional arrangements should look like.

“What you’re not asking for is no retrospectivity; what you’re saying is have an exemption or special treatment for particular cohorts of people that are in the system at the moment.”

“Which is fair enough as governments sometimes provide exemptions or bespoke new routes as well, and we received consultation responses on all of those.”

She added: “All aspects of the policy are yet to be settled; this hasn’t been a fake consultation exercise where the Government already knows all of the policy and is just sort of looking like we ask for views.”

Lots of transitional arrangements that have not yet been debated publicly debate publicly and remain to be settled, Ms Mahmood also said.

It comes after the government announced plans for asylum seekers to be forced to repay a flat-rate contribution towards the cost of their accommodation and support.

The Immigration and Asylum Bill sets out new powers for the Home Office to recover costs from adults who have received asylum support such as subsistence or accommodation, provided they have access to sufficient funds.

Migrants will be required to pay off the full amount before being eligible for settlement. Anyone who leaves the UK will be required to make their payments if they wish to return at a future date.

The Home Secretary will have the power to adjust the charge and the thresholds, ensuring they are both fair to the taxpayer and will not force any migrant into destitution. Under plans, migrants are expected to have to pay a total sum of around £10,000. This figure will be a contribution to the overall cost of their asylum support.