Starmer unveils ‘tighter’ immigration policy promising numbers will fall significantly – live updates
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt
by Half_A_
Starmer unveils ‘tighter’ immigration policy promising numbers will fall significantly – live updates
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce810e3z6dkt
by Half_A_
28 comments
I listened to the whole press conference. It sounds like permits to bring in foreign workers will be tied to investments in skills programmes. This seems entirely sensible and could be very effective if implemented correctly.
It works because it re-emphasises the fact that importing workers should be the temporary fix to a skills shortage, not the permanent state of affairs. It also adds a premium to foreign workers compared to domestic, which levels the playing field and helps prevent undercutting.
Oligarchic overlords living in Knightsbridge, Kensington & Chelsea and Mayfair will not be happy about this, that’s for sure
>Migrants will also need to reside in the UK for 10 years before they can apply for permanent residency – it’s currently five years
Gotta say, as an immigration single issue voter who was planning to vote Reform, I didn’t think they would go this far. This is a huge change because that’s far longer than most other developed countries, which means we instantly become a lot less attractive to emigrate to for millions of people trying to find a new country to live in. That should have a significant impact. Bravo.
the reform polls really kicked their asses into gear huh
good changes though this is how it always should have been
The problem with this strategy is that the kinds of people Starmer is trying to win over don’t care what he does, the reality of the Labour Party doesn’t matter, only their preconceived notions and tropes like “Labour support open borders”, “Labour are marxists”, “Lefty Lawyers” etc.
He won’t win over the right wing press or echo-chambers, and these people have never been driven by policy, just narratives. Is it the right policy anyway? Maybe, but let’s be real here, the reason he’s doing this is to win votes and try to get ahead of the Tories in particular on the immigration debate (with Reform being a more wicked problem for Labour because they are a vibes choice)
It all sounds quite good?
This [graph on the BBC is quite telling](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/800/cpsprodpb/vivo/live/images/2025/5/12/272cd1fd-7d18-4178-8911-ae88eeda8878.png.webp). It shows how EU migration has reduced form 300k a year in 2017 to negative numbers of late, whilst non-eu migration has surged from 90k to almost a million in the same time period.
Those are wild figures and it’s clear something drastic needs to happen. it also coincides with attitudes towards immigration turning more negative as it would clearly have a sizable impact on communities.
I honestly think Labour could go full Reform on their policies, but the facile electorate would still not give a shit as long as their guy Nigel makes further gains.
Still won’t be enough for some.
If Starmer proved he had cut migration down by 90% people would say “fake numbers” or “lies” because they saw one brown guy down the shop. Farage proves he has cut it by 10% and it will be “man of the people”.
I genuinely hate the British public when it comes to politics.
Honestly, I’m currently on the 5 year path. It’s already cost me £30,000 to be here and this announcement looks to double that. It’s becoming harder and harder to justify being here.
Reluctant reform voter here. This was very very effective for me.
Pragmatic and competent plan. Reduce immigration and integration without the silliness that comes with having to vote for a vibes based party? I’m in. I can get behind that.
Okay but how does this affect employers who take on employees for the year after they complete a degree and then have constant turnover? This just means companies will use this even more no?
I appreciate the honesty in this thread from some Reform / intending to vote Reform voters.
Serious question: how much immigration do we need to deal with the aging population/ Brits having less children?
Conservatives prattling about starmer being untrustworthy
Yeah because they really proved themselves in 14 YEARS, including overseeing the Boris wave
From what I heard at the press conference, and have read, there’s nothing that sounds like it should be that controversial. It’s obvious something needs to change, and not for any racist or xenophobic reasons, but for sustainability and I’d argue moral reasons. Sustainable because no, building the equivalent of Birmingham every year just isn’t feasible. Moral, because importing labour to do difficult jobs that often come with a high level of responsibility (e.g. care workers) and paying them a pittance is not moral.
I do understand that some sectors, especially social care, are especially dependent upon immigration, but what this should tell us is that we need a fundamental retooling of our economic systems. The labour to do these jobs does exist already, and the barriers for why these people are not doing these jobs need addressing.
I’m broadly pro-immigration, and I’ve been an immigrant myself in several countries, teaching in international schools. These have been very positive experiences. I think global mobility is a positive thing, but so is sustainability.
Regardless of my position on the matter. This is just a settled issue for the country at this point. Nothing else to do but do it. It’s pretty clearly the majority position that has been ignored for a long time.
At a certain point it’s just not about what I want. This isn’t some big evil people are asking for. It’s just a choice a country can make. They have expressed the desire repeatedly, making it clear it is a very high priority. I just don’t see a valid arguement against the government just doing it.
For all Reform Supporters, you will not get zero immigration. Even if your own party was in power you would still least have 200,000 a year Net Migration according to your own policies.
>Refugee charity Care4Calais, who provide humanitarian aid in northern France and the UK, accuse the prime minister of “fanning the fire of the far-right” by using language like “an island of strangers” to discuss immigration.
>Care4Calais CEO, Steve Smith, said: “This is dangerous language for any Prime Minister to use. Has Starmer forgotten last year’s far-right riots?
>”Shameful language like this will only inflame the fire of the far-right and risks further race riots that endanger survivors of horrors such as war, torture and modern slavery. Starmer must apologise
Hilariously out of touch. No way this CEO isn’t making a fortune on other people’s misery.
Just curious,does this apply only to future immigrants, or to all immigrants who are already living in the country as well?
My parter is from Australia, we met while she was on her youth mobility Visa. Now on a partnership Visa for the past 2 years (Which cost us £3000+). This Visa will run out at the end of the year, for another £3k. Even though she’s been in the country for 4 years now, only 2 count towards ILR. So 3 years to go.
Now this change doubles that and puts it to another 7 years. Feels like a kick in the teeth to be honest. My partner is fully integrated with the culture here, works, pays tax, contributes as much as anyone and we are basically being hit with a £12,000 fine…
Three word slogans are back, I feel much better already
Deliver on this Kier and stop the small boat crossings and 2029 is yours
This is much better than just proposing a cap on numbers. A cap is a pointless target, whereas a comprehensive strategy will help us screen people and casts a wider net.
Now if only we had some genuinely social democratic policies like those of Denmark’s Social Democrats — they’ve introduced early retirement schemes and subsidised childcare, for example. I’d like to see Labour offer something similar.
Can someone tell me why this has not been the approach before now and why the country has allowed to get to the breaking point it already has ?
I mean I kind of expected with us leaving the eu (unfortunately) that instantly meant we would have more control, yet things almost felt like it got worse immigration wise.
All for helping people but it’s obvious that an element of grifting is taking place in most towns and city’s
A migrant here – Came to the UK in early 2021, so I have a few more months before qualifying to applying for ILR under the current rules. I have been working always since then, paying tax, NI, etc.
I’m expecting a baby, and was looking to build a family here. Now these new proposals put me in extreme stress. If I have to wait another 5 years, I’m not sure it’s worth it. I went through redundancy twice in the UK, and I know how stressed it was to find another job while the clock is ticking.
Just a vent. I don’t know what I can do
So now that the policy says that immigrants have to be decidedly better / smarter / more skilled / higher earners / more dedicated / greater contributors to society than the natives, will everyone stop bashing them?
No?
They only doing this due to Farage and Reform. It undeniable.
They a total disgrace.
Why not do this when they got into office.
Comments are closed.