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Labour announces tough new immigration measures “to bring the system back to control”

Sir Keir argued the proposals bring the immigration system “back into control”, denying it was a response to the electoral success of Reform UK.

In a major policy announcement UK PM Sir Keir Starmer has promised the government's new immigration measures will mean net migration falls “significantly” over the next four years. The prime minister unveiled plans to ban recruitment of care workers from overseas, tighten access to skilled worker visas and raise the costs to employers in an effort to curb near record net migration.

He did not set a precise target, but the Home Office estimated the policies could lead to a 100,000 drop in immigration per year by 2029 - based on analysis of just eight of the core policies where “a quantitative assessment” could be made.

Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch said: “This is nowhere near the scale of the change we need to see.”

Successive governments have tried unsuccessfully to reduce net migration, which is the number of people coming to the UK minus the number leaving. Net migration climbed to a record 906,000 in June 2023, and last year it stood at 728,000.

Sir Keir argued the proposals bring the immigration system “back into control”, denying it was a response to the electoral success of Reform UK.

The PM said the new plans, which tackle legal migration to the UK, would ensure a “selective” and “fair” system, where “we decide who comes to this country”.

“Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control,” he said. “Enforcement will be tougher than ever and migration numbers will fall.”

The government will scrap a visa scheme, set up by Boris Johnson's government that allows firms to hire health and social care workers from overseas. Instead, firms will be required to hire British nationals or extend the visas of overseas workers already in the country.

Home Office figures estimate this change will cut the number of workers coming to the UK by between 7,000 and 8,000 a year. However, care companies warned some services will struggle to survive without international recruits.

Employers will also be asked to pay more to hire foreign staff. The Immigration Skills Charge will increase by 32%, leading smaller firms to pay up to £2,400 to sponsor workers to come to the UK, while large firms will pay up to £6,600.

Universities could also be hit by higher charges. The government plans to look into a new tax on every international student enrolled in a UK university, with the proceeds redirected into skills training. At the same time, colleges must meet stricter thresholds, with at least 95% of international students expected to start their course and 90% expected to finish. (BBC)