British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce plans on Monday to tighten immigration rules amid pressure from voters upset over high levels of immigration.
Starmer, whose center-left Labour Party won a landslide victory in July, is under pressure as Member of Parliament Nigel Farage’s right-wing and anti-immigration Reform UK party gains popularity.
Voters are becoming increasingly frustrated by high immigration numbers, which many argue have strained public services and intensified ethnic tensions in some parts of the country.
With Monday’s legislation, Starmer is vowing to end what his office described as “Britain’s failed experiment in open borders,” less than two weeks after Reform UK took advantage of the immigration issue to secure victories in local elections.
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Labour and the center-right Conservatives, which have long been the major parties in Britain, both suffered drops in support in the contests for local government councils and mayors.
Under the new plans, skilled visas will be restricted to people in graduate jobs, while visas for lower-skilled roles will only be issued in areas critical to the country’s industrial strategy, and businesses must increase the training of British workers. Companies in the care sector will also no longer be able to apply for visas for workers recruited abroad.
“Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control,” Starmer said in excerpts of a speech he plans to deliver on Monday. “Enforcement will be tougher than ever and migration numbers will fall. We will create a system that is controlled, selective and fair.”
Migrants who are in the U.K. on visas are typically not eligible for welfare benefits and social housing.
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The government also said it plans to raise English language requirements to include all adult dependents, who must show a basic understanding of English. The government said the goal behind the change is to help integration and cut the risks of exploitation.
“This is a clean break from the past and will ensure settlement in this country is a privilege that must be earned, not a right,” Starmer said.
“And when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language,” he added.
Employers’ groups are concerned that tightening the rules on foreign workers will make it more difficult for companies to fill jobs.
The number of European Union migrants to Britain fell significantly after Brexit. But new visa rules, an increase in people arriving from Ukraine and Hong Kong as well as higher net numbers of foreign students have led to an overall surge in immigration in recent years.
“We inherited a failed immigration system where the previous government replaced free movement with a free market experiment,” British interior minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement. “We are taking decisive action to restore control and order to the immigration system.”
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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