London, (Shahzad Ali) __ British opposition leader Kemi Badenoch of the Conservative Party has clarified that her party has no plans to deport legally settled people from the UK or to apply future immigration laws retrospectively. This clarification comes after controversial remarks made by MP Katie Lam.

Speaking to reporters in London, Badenoch said that Lam had spoken “imprecisely” when she suggested that a large number of legally settled families might be asked to “go home.” Badenoch stressed that the Conservative Party will not apply any future immigration laws “retroactively.”

This clarification alleviates concerns that had arisen among those who hold ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ (ILR).

A Shadow Home Office Minister, Katie Lam, had earlier claimed in an interview that the Conservative Party planned to revoke ILR status and encourage people to “go home” to ensure the UK remained “culturally coherent.” Her statement was criticized by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and also caused unease among several Conservative MPs, some of whom lodged complaints with the party whips.

Lam had also stated that now that the Conservative Party was committed to leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), it had become possible to block benefits for non-EU foreign nationals. She said this paved the way for a policy change, adding, “What we are trying to do is ensure that all our policies are coherent and consistent with measures such as leaving the ECHR.”