The UK will reform its "broken immigration system" to make it more "controlled and fair."

British authorities announced this Sunday an overhaul of the "broken British immigration system" to make it more balanced and equitable, focusing on "workers' priorities to reduce numbers, restore control of Britain's borders, and make the system work for the economy."

"Britain's broken immigration system will be radically overhauled to make it controlled, managed, and fair, according to a landmark White Paper to be published tomorrow," reads a statement from the British government, which laments the legacy of "a chaotic immigration system that has seen net migration soar to record levels" since 2020.

The aforementioned White Paper aims to raise the bar for who can enter the United Kingdom in order to "reduce migration by training domestic workers" and "end the dependence on foreign labor."

To this end, the government plans to implement stricter controls and link the skills thresholds required for work visas to the degree level, reversing a system in which the proportion of visas issued to lower-skilled individuals increased between 2021 and 2024.

"The last government lost control of the immigration system, and there was no proper plan to address the skills shortage here in the country. This has undermined public confidence, distorted our labor market, and been truly damaging to both our immigration system and our economy," added Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

Thus, the Government has indicated that it will introduce "much stricter restrictions on recruitment for shortage occupations" and that it will prioritize companies that "recruit British workers through new industrial workforce strategies."

This will, the Executive's statement explains, lead employers to first and foremost promote the training of British nationals , which will lead not only to an increase in productivity but also to workers' living standards.

"As part of our Plan for Change, we are taking decisive steps to restore control and order to the immigration system, increase domestic training and skills, and reduce net migration, while promoting economic growth," Cooper said.

Specific measures mentioned to this end include, among others, "raising the visa threshold for skilled workers" at the postgraduate level, "strictly" limiting access to the immigration system for occupations below this level, and establishing analysis groups to "identify sectors that are overly dependent on foreign labor and reverse underinvestment in domestic skills."

"For the first time, this means there will be a national focus on ensuring that skills actions, employer strategies, and increased UK workforce participation are the first response to labor shortages in the market, rather than employers simply turning to immigration to fill the gaps," the government concludes in its statement.