You would be justified in thinking that such a scenario belongs to a place where masked immigration enforcement agents are already combing the streets, such as Donald Trump’s America. But, in fact, this is what the party currently leading the polls is proposing in the United Kingdom, where a previously uncontroversial immigration status has become one of the hottest topics in politics.

Imagine a country in the not-too-distant future where hundreds of thousands of legal permanent residents find themselves stripped of their status and forced to reapply for their right to remain. Since many of them no longer meet the criteria, they are abruptly plunged into illegality and subject to deportation. While this new policy is condemned as both a humanitarian disaster and contrary to international law, it is in line with years of political discussion within the country that has led to a widely shared belief among the main political parties that it is too easy for migrants to arrive and settle.

Imagine a country in the not-too-distant future where hundreds of thousands of legal permanent residents find themselves stripped of their status and forced to reapply for their right to remain.

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