The United Kingdom is set to unveil sweeping immigration reforms aimed at tightening legal migration routes, particularly through skilled and lower-skilled visa programs. This was disclosed in a Home Office statement released on Sunday, ahead of the publication of a new Immigration White Paper on Monday.
A White Paper is a formal government proposal outlining intended legislation and typically used to solicit public feedback prior to lawmaking.
According to Bloomberg, the upcoming White Paper introduces stricter requirements for graduate-level skilled visa applicants and significantly limits access to lower-skilled visa pathways. Under the new framework, lower-skilled, time-limited visas would only be issued when there is robust evidence of labour shortages—and only where employers commit to boosting domestic recruitment and training.
The reforms also include plans to establish a government-appointed advisory group to identify sectors that are excessively reliant on foreign labour.
These measures come amid increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government to reduce legal migration, following waves of public protests—some of which turned violent—over concerns about overstretched public services. Starmer has pledged to lower migration numbers and restore public confidence in the UK’s immigration system.
Migration figures have surged since the introduction of the skilled worker visa under Boris Johnson’s administration in 2020. Net migration hit a record high of 906,000 in the year to June 2023. Between 2021 and 2024, permanent migrant settlement rose by 80%, and the number of dependents entering the UK soared by 360% from 2021 to 2023.
Despite attempts at reform, critics argue the government has failed to fully assess the economic impact of its immigration policies, particularly in labour-dependent sectors such as care. Reports have also surfaced of migrant exploitation, with some workers facing trafficking risks or debt bondage—especially within the care industry.
In response to the White Paper, Conservative home affairs spokesman Chris Philp denounced Labour’s measures as inadequate. He urged the government to impose a binding cap on migration and called for the repeal of the Human Rights Act in immigration cases.
Credit: Nairametrics News
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