UK risks becoming ‘island of strangers’, says PM as he unveils immigration plans
Sir Keir Starmer said the UK risks becoming an “island of strangers” without controls on immigration as he unveiled a crackdown including plans to cut overseas care workers and tighten English language requirements.
In a Downing Street speech, the Prime Minister said the Labour Government will “take back control of our borders” and close the book on a “squalid chapter” for politics and the economy.
Ministers are looking to bring down net migration figures, which stood at 728,000 in the year to mid-2024.
Sir Keir said on Monday that he wants levels to have fallen “significantly” by the end of the Parliament, without setting a numerical target.
He said: “Let me put it this way, nations depend on rules, fair rules.
“Sometimes they are written down, often they are not, but, either way, they give shape to our values, guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to each other.
“In a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that these rules become even more important without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.”
We will deliver what you’ve asked for time and again, and we will take back control of our borders
Under the White Paper proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship, but so-called “high-contributing” individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
Meanwhile, skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
Echoing the slogan used by Brexit campaigners during the 2016 EU referendum, Sir Keir said: “We will deliver what you’ve asked for time and again, and we will take back control of our borders.”
The Prime Minister has promised to “tighten up” all elements of the system but is facing a pushback against plans to stop foreign recruitment of care workers from figures within the sector.
Care England chief executive Martin Green earlier labelled the Government’s plans “cruel”.
In his speech, Sir Keir added that migration is part of Britain’s national story, and that migrants “make a massive contribution today”.
He added: “But when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration, to learning our language, and our system should actively distinguish between those that do and those that don’t. I think that’s fair.”
He added: “Now, make no mistake, this plan means migration will fall.
“That’s a promise.”
The Prime Minister also said he does not think it is necessary to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to continue his crackdown on immigration, as he recognised the use of international agreements to tackle illegal migration.
Asked at a press conference if going further on immigration would require “disentangling ourselves” from the ECHR, Sir Keir said: “No, I don’t think that that is necessary.
“I also remind myself that the international agreements we’ve signed have given us the basis for the deals that we’ve struck on illegal migration.
“You can’t strike those deals with other countries to work more closely together on law enforcement, to smash the gangs and to work on returns agreements – which is what we want to do – if, in the next breath, you’ll say you don’t believe in international law.”
There's a balance set out in legislation already that needs to be adjusted, in my view, and that's what we will do
But he also told reporters the Government wants to ensure the “right balance” is made in migration cases in relation to the national interest looking at Article 8 of the convention, the right to private and family life.
The Government is reviewing the use of Article 8 particularly focusing on cases where ministers have disagreed with conclusions reached in the courts, after several deportation attempts have been halted by the way the ECHR clause has been interpreted in UK law.
Sir Keir said: “There’s a balance set out in legislation already that needs to be adjusted, in my view, and that’s what we will do.”
The announcement comes less than a fortnight after Reform UK surged to victory in local council elections across England, a result that deputy leader Richard Tice attributed to frustrations about the immigration system.
Reacting to Sir Keir’s speech, Mr Tice questioned whether the Prime Minister will “actually deliver”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There’s no target, no number that can be measured against.”
The Conservatives have said the Prime Minister is “trying to take credit for recent substantial reductions in visa numbers that resulted from Conservative reforms in April 2024”.
