UK Migration Reforms: UK’s Bold Plan to Slash Migration Explained

On Thursday, November 28th, 2024, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to lower the number of migrants into the UK by reforming the country’s points-based immigration system. In a press interview, Starmer announced the proposed reform would require businesses to train workers in the country before sourcing labour overseas.

The prime minister spoke only hours after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the annual migration statistics, which revealed that migration numbers are still significantly high, despite efforts to bring them down.

UK Migration Statistics 

Data from the ONS sparked the ongoing migration debate after revealing that net migration (the difference between migrants coming into and those leaving the country) stood at 906,000 for the year that ended June 2023, a surge from 740,000 in 2022. However, the number dropped by 20% to 728,000 for the year ending June 2024.

According to the ONS, the decline in net migration in 2024 was attributed to a policy change by the previous Conservative government limiting international students’ ability to bring their relatives to the UK on student visas.

The agency attributed the big jump in the 2023 number to the availability of data and more information on Ukraine visas and enhancements to how the country estimates migration.

The Proposed UK Migration Reform

Immigration has become a major concern in the UK. During the recent elections, voters were worried that strained public services could not cope with the growing influx of immigrants. However, key public service sectors, such as health, are heavily reliant on foreign workers. 

In response to this dilemma, Starmer proposes that since there is clear evidence that some sectors are over-reliant on immigrants, the country needs to reform its points-based system to ensure that applications for relevant work visas will require training workers in Britain. 

The points-based immigration system was introduced in 2021 by the Conservative Party after Brexit. It is designed to assign points to specific skills and qualifications and is used to grant visas only to applicants with enough points. These requirements prioritise work skills over the country of settlement.

Currently, this system applies to the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens. It requires visa applicants to meet specific requirements to settle in the UK. Immigrants outside these groups are still allowed to apply for work in the UK, but they are subject to strict requirements.

According to Starmer, the Labour Party’s government intends to reform the points-based system to ensure that applications for work visas meet new expectations regarding training people already in the UK.

Businesses that Fail to Comply Will Face Sanctions 

The prime minister publicly announced that a white paper on the proposed migration reform could be expected soon. He also emphasised that businesses that refuse to “play ball” will be banned from hiring foreign workers.

The Labour government has already introduced an Employment Rights Bill, which is still making its way through parliament. If enacted, the statute will subject businesses that fail to comply with the proposed UK migration reforms to two-year sanctions, up from the current maximum of 12-month sanctions.

The UK Migration Minister Seema Malhotra assured the public that the Labour government is committed to ensuring that businesses that abuse the country’s migration system stand to face harsh sanctions under Home Office rules.

The Government’s Employments Rights Bill

This piece of legislation, though still pending enactment, seeks to take action against employers who break migration rules. Under this bill, action plans binding employers who commit visa breaches will be strengthened.

The bill also seeks to protect workers’ rights, particularly foreign workers or immigrant workers. For instance, businesses will be required to pay the cost of visa sponsorship, a deviation from the current practice of passing this cost to workers.

With this new legal framework, Ms Malhotra assures Britons that employers will no longer be able to flout migration rules without facing harsh consequences.

Starmer Apportioned Blame to the Conservative Party

During the press interview, Starmer accused the Conservative Party of driving the surge in immigration during their 14 years in power. According to the prime minister, the Conservative Party significantly contributed to the immigration problem by passing deliberate policies intended to liberalise immigration. 

Starmer specifically pointed out Brexit as an open borders experiment that contributed to the increase in immigration numbers. 

“A failure on this scale is not just bad luck. It is a different order of failure. Brexit was used to turn Britain into a one-nation experiment in open borders,” Starmer told the press, referring to the Conservative Party’s decision to leave the EU.

Migration as a Major Political Concern in the UK

In the 2019 election, the Conservative Party won a landslide under the leadership of Boris Johnson, largely due to a promise to get Brexit done and lower the net migration numbers. The party had promised Britons that leaving the EU would end the free movement of people from member states, hence cutting migration numbers. 

However, contrary to the conservatives’ projection, regular immigration has increased since Brexit in 2020. Following Brexit, net migration stood at 488,000 in 2021, and the number has more than doubled since. 

Earlier in the year, during the 2024 campaign, the Labour Party promised to cut net migration figures if elected. It is from this backdrop that Starmer has promised to introduce migration reforms in a bid to save the country from the growing migration problem.

Conclusion

The proposed UK migration reforms are a bold move by the Labour government in addressing issues surrounding immigration. Starmer’s plan to overhaul the points-based system reflects an effort to prioritise training domestic workers while curbing overreliance on foreign labour. By tightening requirements for work visas and imposing stricter sanctions on non-compliant businesses, the Labour government aims to strike a delicate balance between protecting public services and ensuring economic stability.

These migration reforms underscore significant political challenges. The Labour Party faces the dual challenge of managing ongoing public concerns about migration while addressing the economic realities of sectors reliant on foreign workers. This continues to fuel heated debates in a country where migration remains deeply intertwined with its political and economic identity.


Source: JURIST New

References: 

Office for National Statistics

UK government’s official website

UK Parliament website

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