Sir Keir Starmer unveiled drastic plans to slash migration on Monday, echoing the slogan used by Brexit campaigners during the 2016 EU referendum – vowing to “take back control of our borders.”
He promised to make sure that settlement in Britain is “privilege that must be earned, not a right”. Whether he likes it or not, the PM’s time in office will now be judged against how successfully he brings down migration.
Here, The Independent takes a look at exactly how Sir Keir plans to achieve that goal.
What are the main changes being introduced?
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, with rules also being laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The immigration skills charge, paid by firms sponsoring a migrant worker, will be hiked by 32 per cent.
Meanwhile, skilled worker visas will now require a university degree. For occupations below this level, access to the immigration system will be strictly time-limited and based on evidence of shortages in the supply of labour.
It also includes provisions to end overseas recruitment for social care visas – a move which has been “cruel” by care bosses and is likely to spark concerns over staff shortages in the already overstretched sector.
Alongside this, a “limited pool” of refugees and displaced people recognised by the United Nations’ agency responsible will be eligible to apply for jobs through existing skilled-worker routes. This comes as part of an attempt to ensure that refugees do not lack the opportunity to apply for jobs and skilled worker visas where they have the talent and training to do so.
How will care workers be impacted?
The plans include a pledge to end overseas recruitment for social care visas, by shutting down social care visas to new applications from abroad. This means foreign workers will no longer be able to apply for visas to come to the UK and work in the social care sector.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea warned that a lack of care workers will have a “huge impact on the NHS”, arguing that the care sector “would have collapsed long ago without the thousands of workers who’ve come to the UK from overseas”.
The policy will have some wiggle room in 2028, while the workforce strategy is being developed and rolled out. Until then, the government said it will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already here.
The Home Office has also argued there are 40,000 potential members of staff who were originally brought over by “rogue” providers and are now able to take up jobs in the sector while homegrown workers are trained up.
What about students?
The government has said it will strengthen the requirements that all sponsoring institutions must meet in order to recruit international students.
Universities will be required to score five percentage points higher on the Basic Compliance Assessment – an annual assessment used to monitor each sponsor’s level of compliance with the visa system. It looks at university metrics such as their rates of course completion and course enrolment.
The amount of time foreign students can remain in the UK after graduation will also be slashed, falling from two years to 18 months.
Who will be affected by the English language requirements?
The new English language requirements – which will include assessments to ensure people are improving over time – will apply to both main visa applicants and their dependents. This means that the children and spouses of people applying for visas will also be required to learn English if they want to remain in Britain.
How will foreign national offenders be impacted?
The White Paper includes plans to make sure that the Home Office is informed of all foreign nationals convicted of offences – not just those who go to prison. The government has also pledged to review deportation thresholds to take into account a wider range of factors than just the length of sentence. This change will primarily impact people who have committed violence against women and girls, which will be treated as a more serious offence and will make it easier for the government to deport people who have committed those crimes.
Will Britain’s membership of the ECHR be affected?
Unlike the previous Conservative government – which regularly criticised the European Convention on Human Rights – the prime minister gave a firm “no” when asked if the government would be disentangling itself from the convention.
“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”, he warned.
But he also told reporters the government wants to ensure the “right balance” is made in migration cases after it emerged that the government is reviewing the use of Article 8, which protects the right to respect for private and family life, home, and correspondence.
It comes after a series of cases where ministers have disagreed with conclusions reached in the courts, with several deportation attempts being halted as a result of the way the ECHR clause has been interpreted in UK law.
Legislation will be brought forward to make clear it is the government and Parliament that decides who should have the right to remain in the UK.
Will there be a cap on numbers?
No, there will not be a cap on numbers of people coming to the UK. The prime minister ruled out imposing a “hard-edged cap” on immigration targets, arguing that it has been “done in one form or another for the best part of 10 years by different prime ministers” and “every single one of them failed”.
“Going down the failed route is not a sensible way for me”, Sir Keir said, claiming he will take a “serious, pragmatic” approach instead.
