British government unveils 'radical' plan to cut immigration

Keir Starmer 's British Labour government unveiled a roadmap of " radical measures " to reduce immigration on Monday, as the far right surges in the polls and gains a foothold in the country. As evidence of the stakes, the Prime Minister himself will address a press conference on Monday morning, shortly before his Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, unveils the roadmap before Parliament.

" All areas of the immigration system, including work, family reunification, and study visas, will be strengthened so we can better control them. Enforcement will be stricter than ever, and the number of immigrants will fall, " Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to say, according to excerpts of his speech released by Downing Street. " We will create a system that is controlled, selective, and fair ," he insisted, as net immigration reached 728,000 people between June 2023 and June 2024, and nearly a million the previous year.

The government, which has promised " radical measures " and criticized the record of its Conservative predecessors, has been releasing some of the content of its plan in recent days, eager to show that it addresses voters' concerns, following the success of Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party in the local elections on May 1.

To ensure that foreigners wishing to settle in the UK " deserve " to stay, it will now be more difficult to obtain permanent residency, Downing Street has detailed. 162,000 people obtained it last year, a 35% increase year-on-year. Ten years of residency will be required, compared to five currently.

Nurses, doctors, engineers, and artificial intelligence executives will, however, be able to apply earlier. And adult dependents of a visa holder will have to demonstrate a sufficient level of English to be allowed to come to the UK, with the aim of reducing the number of family visas.

The plan also includes tightening the conditions for granting work visas, the second largest source of foreigners settling in the country (369,000 in 2024). According to Yvette Cooper, this will reduce the number of low-skilled workers arriving " by up to 50,000 " next year. " For years, our system has encouraged companies to bring in lower-paid workers, rather than investing in our young people, " Keir Starmer is expected to say, affirming his desire for " a clean break with the past ."

An applicant for a skilled worker visa will also need to demonstrate a level of qualification equivalent to a French bachelor's degree. Exceptions are made for fields with labor shortages. Employers who want to recruit people abroad will have to invest in training British workers. Companies in the care sector (care workers, etc.), which rely heavily on foreign labor, will no longer be able to recruit directly from abroad.

Last week, the government also announced plans to restrict work and student visas for nationals from countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka, who are most likely to seek asylum. Previous Conservative governments had already taken steps to tighten visa requirements.

The government also wants to be able to deport more foreigners convicted of crimes. Currently, they are generally only deported if they receive a prison sentence of more than one year. In addition to legal immigration, the government is also under pressure to stem the arrival of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. Some 36,800 arrived last year, and more than 11,000 so far this year.