Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh was reported to have criticised the Mahmood migration policy in a post on her constituency website, citing concerns that a longer settlement process could affect integration. The critique, which appeared in a write-up of a September community meeting in her south London Peckham constituency, was then removed, with Fahnbulleh saying it did not truly represent her views.

The post and its removal

The original write-up reported Fahnbulleh telling residents that drawn-out waits could work against community cohesion. According to the report, she said: "If we continually prolong the time people have to wait for settlement, we can also prolong the process of building cohesion."

The write-up was first highlighted by the Telegraph. Fahnbulleh's office said the remarks had been paraphrased, and would be rewritten to reflect a more accurate description of what she told residents.

What the settlement changes would do

The government's proposals, which Fahnbulleh's remarks were responding to, would reshape how migrants qualify to stay permanently. They include:

• •Increasing the standard qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five years to 10, with likely concessions for some professions including care workers
• •Extending the pathway to permanent settlement for refugees to up to 20 years, with reviews every 30 months

The government has not yet published its long-anticipated final response to the consultation on the proposals.

Other ministers have voiced doubts

The prime minister, Andy Burnham, has said he is committed to the bulk of the changes. Last month, however, housing secretary Angela Rayner said in an interview that the proposed changes, if left unamended, would unfairly penalise care staff. She said care staff had "moved their lives here to look after our loved ones".

Fahnbulleh's own account

Fahnbulleh came to the UK as a child after fleeing the civil war in Liberia. Speaking on the Guardian's Politics Weekly podcast last month, she admitted her family would have found Mahmood's changes "tough".

She described the constituency she represents as one with first, second and third-generation immigrants, and said navigating that landscape has been tough. She argued the government ultimately needs an immigration system that has control while also recognising migrants' contributions.

On her own story, she told the podcast: "I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the way that we structured our immigration system." She added that Britain had always been welcoming and she was sure it would stay that way.

In Peckham, she described the immigration debate to constituents as "increasingly depressing and toxic". According to the write-up, she said: "The asylum process is broken and needs reform." She called for a system built on control and compassion, with a stronger focus on integration, and for raising the level of the debate while challenging divisive political rhetoric. She described Peckham as an example of what happens when communities are built deliberately and people get the opportunity to integrate and participate.

The government has not yet published its final response to the consultation, and Mahmood is believed to be considering changing her plans on the settlement proposals.