Immigration: What is Keir Starmer looking to do?

12 May 2025, 12:06 | Updated: 13 May 2025, 00:17

Sir Keir Starmer said the UK risks becoming an "island of strangers" without border controls as he unveiled a crackdown on immigration.

The prime minister said on Monday that the government is looking to cut overseas care workers and tighten English language requirements within the leave to remain framework.

It is all part of a drive for levels of immigration to have fallen by the end of his term in office although Sir Keir stopped short of setting a numerical target.

“Let me put it this way, nations depend on rules, fair rules,” he said.

"Sometimes they are written down, often they are not, but either way, they give shape to our values, guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to each other.

"I celebrate that these rules become even more important without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together."

He has urged anyone capable of work to take up a job to do so as Labour looks to gain support from those who may have voted Reform in last week’s byelection overturn.

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

Here is what it all means.

What was in Sir Keir Starmer’s speech and what is Labour’s plan?

Under the White Paper proposals, migrants will have 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 on Monday 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.

Last week, Nigel 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.”