British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today pledged to significantly reduce immigration over the next four years, saying greater controls were necessary to preserve social cohesion and encourage investment in the domestic workforce.
Curbing immigration was a key factor in Britain’s 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union, but overall arrivals have quadrupled since the country left the bloc, helping boost the popularity of Nigel Farage’s far-right, anti-immigration Reform UK party.
Starmer said nations depend on rules that set out rights, responsibilities and obligations, and that without them Britain risks “becoming an island of foreigners.”
–Plan to cut migration-
He said his new plan would mean migration would fall sharply by the end of this parliament in 2029, but he did not provide a numerical target.
“That’s a promise, but I want to be very clear about this: if further steps are needed, if we have to do more to reduce the pressure on the housing market and our public services, then mark my words, we will do that,” he told a press conference in his Downing Street office.
Among the measures announced today is a reduction in the number of work permits for highly educated people in order to prevent companies in the care and welfare sector from employing foreign workers and to encourage them to intensify the training of the domestic workforce.
–Changes in obtaining citizenship–
Automatic citizenship for people moving to the UK will apply after 10 years, up from the previous five, but the process will be speeded up for highly educated people such as nurses, doctors, engineers and artificial intelligence experts.
The government also said it intends to introduce a basic English language requirement for all adult family members of visa holders. She said that this will help integration and reduce the risk of abuse.
–Different views on immigration–
Migration has long been a hot political issue in Britain, with critics arguing that social cohesion could be undermined if the government does not build enough housing or public services for the growing population.
But many business sectors say they cannot employ enough local workers, and entrepreneurs in science and technology fields warn that strict restrictions will harm their potential and reduce overall economic growth.
