Keir Starmer Unveils Sweeping Immigration Reforms to Slash Net Migration
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled a wide-ranging overhaul of the UK’s immigration system, vowing to reduce net migration figures “significantly” before the next general election.
In a direct challenge to the legacy of previous Conservative administrations, Starmer said his government is “taking back control” of immigration through a pragmatic and targeted plan focused on workforce needs, border control, and long-term sustainability.
The Home Office released a 69-page white paper outlining several major policy changes:
- The salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas will be raised.
- The Immigration Salary List will be scrapped.
- New visa applications for overseas care workers will be banned.
- Tighter restrictions will apply to international students and family visas.
- Asylum, deportation, and English-language rules will be tightened.
- The qualifying period for settlement and citizenship will be extended from five to ten years, under a new contributions-based points system.
These changes are estimated to reduce net migration by approximately 100,000 people annually.
Starmer rejected claims that the reforms were a reaction to rising support for Reform UK, saying the changes represent a long-planned commitment to balance fairness with control. He also distanced Labour’s new stance from previous party policies that were more lenient toward immigration.
“This is not about short-term politics,” Starmer said. “It’s about building an immigration system that works for working people and invests in the skills of those already here.”
The announcement has sparked backlash from trade unions and social care leaders, who warn that cutting off overseas recruitment in critical sectors like health and social care could worsen staffing shortages and strain already pressured services.
Despite the criticism, the government insists the reforms are necessary to reduce reliance on migrant labour and boost domestic training and employment.
Labour’s proposals signal one of the biggest shifts in the party’s approach to immigration in decades. As the UK grapples with post-Brexit workforce challenges, the new measures aim to redefine how and why people are granted access to live and work in the country.
Starmer concluded by reaffirming his goal of a system that is “firm, fair, and focused on Britain’s future.”
