What is Labour doing to bring down illegal immigration?

The prime minister promised action on the back of mounting pressure from ministers, while Nigel Farage on Tuesday set out his stall over what his party would do if elected.

The Reform leader outlined plans to return immigrants to Afghanistan, repeal the Human Rights Act of 1998, and enable women and children to be detained.

Six boats reportedly launched from France on Monday, and 212 asylum seekers made the crossing on Sunday.

A YouGov poll for The Times found that 71 per cent of voters believe the PM is handling the asylum hotel issue badly, including 56 per cent of Labour supporters.

Sir Keir has previously promised to “smash the gangs” behind illegal immigration and has called on anyone who can work to do so.

Here is what Labour has pledged to do.

What is Labour doing to bring down illegal immigration?

Sir Keir Starmer announced a new migration deal with France in July after crunch talks with French president Emmanuel Macron.

The two leaders pledged to tackle the "global crisis" of illegal migration with the "groundbreaking" agreement, which will allow illegal migrants to be returned to France quickly in exchange for someone legally allowed to live in the UK.

The Government has recently announced it will give an extra £100m in funding to support the pilot migrant returns deal between Britain and France.

The cash will pay for up to 300 National Crime Agency (NCA) officers and tech to fulfil Labour's manifesto promise to "smash" smuggling gangs.

Deterring signs in asylum seeker camps in France will be installed.

These will warn: “Get on a small boat and you will be deported".

Status of migrants

Sir Keir has pledged to "take back control of our borders" and close the book on a "squalid chapter" for politics and the economy.

He has previously set out a plan that means migrants will need to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

There is a discrepancy to allow so-called "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses to 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 dependents, meaning that 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.

Sir Keir was asked about how his party would fill the gaps in the workforce after such policies come in and his answer was to ask everyone who can work to get a job.

What is indefinite leave to remain?

Indefinite leave to remain gives an immigrant the right to live, work and study here for as long as they want to. It is not the same as British citizenship but can be used to apply for it.

The current rules on securing the status are different depending on circumstances but usually require a person to have lived in the UK for five years. Rules differ depending on what the person’s job is and whether they have family living in the country.

Sir Keir has said securing indefinite leave to remain is “a privilege that must be earned, not a right” under his new policies.

His plans will see the amount of time a person must spend in Britain to qualify for residency double from five years to 10 - although that time could be reduced based on tax and other contributing factors, such as whether they are considered a skilled worker.

What is a skilled worker?

Indefinite leave to remain is different to having a skilled worker visa, which can offer an initial means of getting into the UK. A list of jobs is available online which apply to this.

Under Sir Keir’s plans, the time it takes to secure indefinite leave to remain could be sped up by taking jobs in sectors it is priorising. This could include engineering, artificial intelligence, public services, police, or the NHS.

It is a move away from a system that Sir Keir has called reliant on overseas workers filling lower paid roles.

Why is Labour doing this?

Ministers are looking to bring down net migration figures, which stood at 728,000 in the year to mid-2024, by the end of this Parliamentary term - which will end by the latest in August 2029.

Sir Keir said it was about “rules” and “fairness” but it is thought that such a move is also to try and stop Labour voters from defecting to Reform.

Mr Farage’s party overturned a majority to win the Runcorn constituency by just six votes from Labour after a 17 per cent vote swing. Reform has campaigned for a “net zero” approach to immigration.

Sir Keir borrowed a line from the Brexit campaign’s playbook in pledging to “take back control”.

“[This] will finally take back control of our borders and close the book on a squalid chapter for our politics, our economy and our country,” said Sir Keir.

He added: “Take back control. Everyone knows that slogan, and everyone knows what it meant on immigration, or at least that’s what people thought.

“Because what followed from the previous government, starting with the people who used that slogan, was the complete opposite.

“Between 2019 and 2023, even as they were going round our country, telling people with a straight face that they would get immigration down, net migration quadrupled, until in 2023 it reached nearly one million.

“That’s about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city. That’s not control. It’s chaos.”

What have people said?

The prime minister has promised to "tighten up" all elements of the system but is facing pushback against plans to stop foreign recruitment of care workers from figures within the sector.

Care England's chief executive Martin Green earlier labelled the Government's plans as "cruel" while the Conservatives have said that the prime minister is "trying to take credit for recent substantial reductions in visa numbers that resulted from Conservative reforms in April 2024".

There has been opposition across the spectrum with Mr Farage stating: “This government will not do what it takes to control our borders. Only Reform UK will leave the ECHR and deport illegal migrants.”

Green Party co-leader Carla Deyner said: “These ill-thought-through reforms are the triumph of a panicked and misguided rush to create headlines and try to win back Reform voters.”