Keir Starmer has vowed to end Britain’s “experiment in open borders” with new, stricter migration rules.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday morning, the prime minister said the crackdown would close the “lab” and finally deliver on the oft-repeated promise to “take back control”, first voiced in the 2016 EU referendum.
Starmer said: “Between 2019 and 2023, even as [politicians] were going round our country, telling people with a straight face that they would get immigration down, net migration quadrupled until, in 2023, it reached nearly 1 million — that’s about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city.
“That’s not control, it’s chaos, and look, [previous governments] must answer for themselves.
“But I don’t think that you can do something like that by accident. It was a choice… a one nation experiment in open borders conducted on a country that voted for control.”
The prime minister added: “Well no more, today this Labour government is shutting down the lab: the experiment is over. We will deliver what you asked for time and again, and we will take back control of our borders.”
It comes as the government publishes its long-awaited immigration white paper, proposals setting out how it intends to reduce the number of people coming to the UK.
Under the white paper proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship, ending the automatic right to apply for indefinite leave to remain and citizenship after five years.
The change from five to 10 years will come with exceptions for people who make a “high contribution” to the economy or society, who will able to be fast-tracked for permanent settlement rights.
This is on top of new English language requirements across every visa route, which will extend to adult dependents for the first time. Care homes will also be barred from recruiting foreign staff from overseas from later this year and will instead be required to hire foreign workers who are already in the UK or British staff.
Meanwhile, the white paper is expected to force foreign graduates to leave the UK unless they get a graduate-level job, based on skill levels rather than salary.
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The government is looking to bring down net migration — the difference between the number of people immigrating and emigrating to a country — which soared when the UK left the EU in January 2020.
It reached 903,000 in the year to June 2023, before falling to 728,000 in mid-2024.
The Conservative Party has rejected any suggestion that ministers are being “tough on immigration”.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “Keir Starmer pretends to be tough, but just weeks ago his MPs voted against our 10-year residency and economic contribution test for indefinite leave to remain. Now he says that immigrants who make no contribution should still be allowed to stay.”
“He is trying to take steal credit for recent substantial reductions in visa numbers that resulted from Conservative reforms in April 2024.
“Starmer also suspended the Conservative plan for a £38,000 salary threshold for family visas. Will he now bring that back?”
Commenting ahead of Starmer’s press conference, Philp added: “Today Conservatives are forcing a vote on a binding migration cap and removing the Human Rights Act from immigration matters. But Starmer and Labour will vote it down.
“Starmer is the same man who wrote letters protesting against deporting dangerous foreign criminals and has overseen the worst ever start to a year for illegal immigrants crossing the channel. The idea that Starmer is tough on immigration is a joke.”
Philp is referencing a Conservative amendment to the border security, asylum and immigration bill — which is going through its remaining stages in the House of Commons on Monday evening.
Delivering remarks on Monday morning, Starmer said: “‘Take back control’ — everyone knows that slogan, and everyone knows what it meant on immigration, or at least that’s what people thought, because what followed from the previous government, starting with the people who used that slogan, was the complete opposite.”
“Between 2019 and 2023, even as they were going round our country, telling people with a straight face that they would get immigration down, net migration quadrupled, until in 2023, it reached nearly 1 million — that’s about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city.
“That’s not control, it’s chaos, and look, they must answer for themselves. But I don’t think that you can do something like that by accident. It was a choice — a choice made even as they told you, told the country, they were doing the opposite: a one nation experiment in open borders conducted on a country that voted for control.
“Well no more, today this Labour government is shutting down the lab: the experiment is over. We will deliver what you asked for time and again, and we will take back control of our borders.
“And let me tell you why, because I know, on a day like today, people who like politics will try to make this all about politics, about this or that strategy, targeting these voters, responding to that party.
“No, I am doing this because it is right, because it is fair and because it is what I believe in.
“Let me put it this way: nations depend on rules, fair rules. Sometimes they’re written down, often they’re not, but either way, they give shape to our values, guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to each other.
“Now, in a diverse nation like ours — and I celebrate that — these rules become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.
“So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you’re not championing growth.
“You’re not championing justice or how or else people defend the status quo — you’re actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart. So yes, I believe in this.”
The prime minister added: “So as this white paper sets out, every area of the immigration system — work, family and study — will be tightened up so we have more control.
“Skill requirements raised to degree level, English language requirements across all routes, including for dependents, the time it takes to acquire settled status extended from five years to 10, and enforcement tougher than ever — because fair rules must be followed.
“Now make no mistake, this plan means migration will fall, that’s a promise.
“But I want to be very clear on this, if we do need to take further steps, if we do need to do more to release pressure on housing and our public services, then mark my words, we will.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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