Keir Starmer To Announce Plan To Overhaul Britain's 'Broken' Immigration System
Keir Starmer is expected to announce reforms for Britain’s “broken” immigration system today.
As part of the government’s wider Plan for Change, prime minister will declare that new immigration rules will reduce reliance on overseas recruitment and prioritise those who contribute to the UK economy.
At a press conference on Monday before the publication of the government’s new Immigration White Paper, Starmer will say living in the UK is a privilege which must be earned.
The migration crackdown comes two weeks after Nigel Farage’s Reform UK swept to victory in the local elections, winning two mayoral seats and 677 council seats, along with the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
Reform UK want to freeze all non-essential immigration.
Net migration reached nearly a million in the year ending June 2023, four times the amount seen in 2019.
With this crackdown, Labour will pledge to end the days of mass recruitment to fill avoidable skills gaps.
The threshold for automatic settlement and citizenship for anyone living in the UK will be increased from the current rate of five years to 10 years, unless migrants can prove they have a real and lasting contribution to Britain.
High-skilled and high-contributing migrants, like nurses, doctors, engineers and AI leaders, will be fast-tracked.
English language requirements will be extended to all adults wishing to live and work in the UK.
Individuals will have to prove they have a basic understanding of English, to help them integrate with the community and reduce the risk of exploitation.
The PM will say this is part of a plan to prioritise British workers over cheap overseas employees.
Further reforms will be announced by home secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday.
She already revealed over the weekend that Labour are putting a stop to work visas for care sector employees this year.
More than 24,000 people with no right to be here have been returned since Labour was elected.
Starmer is expected to say: “For years we have had a system that encourages businesses to bring in lower paid workers, rather than invest in our young people.
“That is the Britain this broken system has created.
“Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control. Enforcement will be tougher than ever and migration numbers will fall.”
He will promise to create a “controlled, selective and fair” system which restores “common sense and control to our borders” and is a “clean break from the past.
“Lower net migration, higher skills and backing British workers – that is what this White Paper will deliver,” the prime minister will say.