The United Kingdom (UK) has unveiled radical reforms to its immigration system, saying it is geared towards “restoring control to our borders and reducing record-high levels of net migration.”
Specifically, the British Home Office said that under the much-trailed policy paper on immigration which Prime Minister Keir Starmer had promised, the numbers of people arriving in the UK is expected to fall “significantly.”
Though no specific numbers were announced in the reduction on immigration, Starmer castigated what he called “a one-nation experiment in open borders” under the Conservatives, with net migration peaking above 900,000 a year in 2023.
This, he said, had placed pressure on public services without helping economic growth.
A statement by the UK government said that the “measures unveiled in the immigration white paper published today (Monday 12 May) will reshape our immigration system towards those who contribute most to economic growth, with higher skills standards for graduates and workers.
“New requirements on employers to boost domestic training will end the reliance on international recruitment, restoring order to a failed system that saw net migration quadruple between 2019 and 2023.”
A British High Commission Spokesperson in Nigeria said: “The UK enjoys strong, long-standing people to people links with Nigeria. We are proud that the UK is still considered a top destination for Nigerians to work, study, visit and settle – and value the contribution this brings to the UK.”
“The UK White Paper sets out reforms to legal migration, including restoring order, control and fairness to the system, bringing down net migration and promoting economic growth. Changes to the system will happen over a period of time and we will engage with relevant partners in the Federal Government of Nigeria once more information about implementation details are available.”
“We have a proud tradition as an outward-looking nation, investing and trading abroad, and welcoming the creativity, ideas and diversity of those who come to contribute here.”
Key policies in the 82 page blueprint, titled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, include the following:
- reversing the long-term trend of increasing international recruitment at the expense of skills and training
- the labour market evidence group will be established, drawing on the best data available in order to make informed decisions about the state of the labour market and the role that different policies should play, rather than always relying on migration
- departments across government will engage sector bodies as part of this approach
Raising Skilled Worker threshold – skilled must mean skilled
Lifting the level for skilled workers back to RQF 6 (Graduate level) and above. Salary thresholds will rise.
The immigration salary list, which gives people discounts from salary thresholds, will be abolished.
Access to the points-based immigration system will be limited to occupations where there have been long term shortages, on a time limited basis, where the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce.
Adult social care
End overseas recruitment for social care visas. In line with our wider reforms to skills thresholds, we will close social care visas to new applications from abroad.
For a transition period until 2028, while the workforce strategy is being developed and rolled out, we will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already here. This will be kept under review.
Study
We will strengthen the requirements that all sponsoring institutions must meet in order to recruit international students.
We will introduce new interventions for sponsors who are close to failing their sponsor duties, including placing them on an action plan designed to improve their compliance, and imposing limits on the number of new international students they can recruit while they are subject to those plans.
We will reduce the ability for graduates to remain in the UK after their studies to a period of 18 months.
Family
We will tackle the over complex family and private life immigration arrangements, where too many cases are treated as ‘exceptional’ rather than having a clear framework.
Legislation will be brought forward to make clear it is the government and Parliament that decides who should have the right to remain in the UK. This will address cases where Article 8 right to family life legal arguments are being used to frustrate deportation where removal is clearly in the public interest.
Growth
We will go further in ensuring that the very highly skilled have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent.
This includes increasing the number of people arriving on our very high talent routes, alongside faster routes for bringing people to the UK who have the right skills and experience to supercharge UK growth in strategic industries.
This includes increasing places to our scheme for research interns, making it easier for top scientific and design talent to use our Global Talent visa, and reviewing our Innovator Founder visa and High Potential Individual route to maximise their benefit to the UK economy.
Tackling abuse
New policies will apply to individuals who claim asylum where conditions in their home country have not materially changed, particularly where they have claimed asylum after arrival.
Tighter visa controls, restrictions, requirements or scrutiny will be applied where we have evidence of abuse, based on a clear assessment of the risks.
Measures to ensure that other governments play their part in supporting the integrity of the UK immigration system – particularly where there are currently barriers in the way of us returning their nationals.
Innovative financial measures, penalties or sanctions, including for sponsors of migrant workers or students where there is evidence of abuse. These will incentivise them to act responsibly, with new measures to support compliance with visa conditions by migrants.
Foreign national offenders (FNOs)
Reform the deportation system to ensure the Home Office is informed of all foreign nationals convicted of offences – not just those who go to prison.
Review deportation thresholds to take into account a wider range of factors than just the length of sentence, and start by revising the statutory exceptions criteria to ensure that the deportation test reflects the seriousness of violence against women and girls.
English language
Introduce new English language requirements across a broader range of immigration routes, for both main applicants and their dependants, to ensure a better knowledge of English, including an assessment of improvements over time.
Earned settlement and citizenship
Double the standard qualifying period for settlement to 10 years.
Expand the points-based system to both our settlement and citizenship rules, so they are based on contribution to the UK, with further details to be set out to Parliament by the end of the year.
The policies outlined, part of the government’s Plan for Change, will be delivered over the course of this Parliament to strengthen the UK’s immigration system, with the first changes set to be introduced in the coming weeks.
The government will publish further reforms to the asylum system and border security later this summer, building on measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently progressing through Parliament.
