World Immigration News

UK's Starmer pledges to reduce immigration with points-based reform

Release Date: 2024-11-29
Media: Reuters
Summary: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to reduce immigration and reform the points-based immigration system, placing greater responsibility on businesses to train British workers. This follows the release of data showing net migration reached a record 906,000 in the year to June 2023, significantly higher than expected. Starmer criticized the former Conservative government’s policies, linking the surge to Brexit-era immigration rules that he described as fostering "open borders."

Under his proposed reforms, visa applications, including for skilled workers, will require businesses to demonstrate efforts to train domestic workers. Companies failing to comply could face bans on hiring foreign labor.

The 2021 points-based system, introduced post-Brexit, prioritizes visas for applicants with specific skills. While the system reduced migration from the EU, it led to a rise in workers from countries like India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, particularly in health and social care sectors. Recent changes to rules for dependents of study visa holders contributed to a slight drop in net migration to 728,000 by mid-2024.
Tags: United Kingdom

Released on

Article Title