British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer today unveiled a sweeping new White Paper on immigration, marking what he called a “clean break with the past” and a major step in his government’s Plan for Change.
Speaking at a press conference at Downing Street, Starmer sharply criticised the previous Conservative government’s record on immigration, accusing it of presiding over a period of “chaos” in which net migration quadrupled between 2019 and 2023 — reaching nearly one million in the latter year.
“That’s not control – it’s chaos,” Starmer said. “We will deliver what you have asked for – time and again – and we will take back control of our borders.”
The White Paper introduces significant changes to the UK’s immigration system across work, family, and study routes. Among the measures outlined:
* Skill thresholds will rise to degree level for most work visas.
* English language requirements will be applied across all immigration routes, including dependents.
* The path to settled status will be extended from five years to ten.
* Tougher enforcement will be introduced to ensure compliance with immigration rules.
Starmer emphasised that the new system would be “controlled, selective, and fair,” linking access to visas with employer investment in training British workers. He also highlighted the need to rebalance migration so that it supports national priorities such as skills development and wage growth.
While reaffirming the importance of migration in Britain’s post-war recovery and ongoing success in science, healthcare, and technology, the Prime Minister stressed the need for integration.
“When people come to our country, they should also commit to integration, to learning our language,” he said. “Our system should actively distinguish between those that do and those that don’t. That’s fair.”
The Prime Minister also made clear that the aim of the reforms was not simply to reduce numbers, but to change the composition and purpose of migration.
“Perhaps the biggest shift in this White Paper is that we will finally honour what ‘take back control’ meant and begin to choose who comes here so that migration works for our national interest,” he said.
In a message aimed at both political opponents and business leaders, Starmer added, “If a business wants to bring people in from abroad, they must first invest in Britain.”
He concluded the address by promising lower net migration, higher skills, and a renewed focus on British workers. “This is the start of repairing our social contract, which the chaos and cynicism of the last government did so much to undermine.”
The White Paper is expected to face intense scrutiny from opposition parties, industry leaders, and rights groups as it moves forward in the coming weeks.