The new UK immigration policies have ignited a firestorm of reactions from political groups, businesses, advocacy organizations, and individuals.
Many have voiced an alarm over the declaration of the UK’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. Some have also argued that the new UK immigration policies could cause a potential economic fallout.
Recall that Stamer, in an 82-page white paper titled “Restoring Control Over the Immigration System,” unveiled new UK immigration policies said to be aimed at drastically reducing net migration, tightening visa rules, and prioritising local workforce development.
Within Starmer’s Labour Party, the policies have caused a rift. Left-wing MPs, such as Nadia Whittome and Zarah Sultana, condemned Starmer’s rhetoric, particularly his “island of strangers” phrase, as “shameful and dangerous,” accusing him of mimicking far-right scaremongering.
Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Nottingham East, said: “The step-up in anti-migrant rhetoric from the government is shameful and dangerous.
“Migrants are our neighbours, friends and family. To suggest that Britain risks becoming ‘an island of strangers’ because of immigration mimics the scaremongering of the far right.”
Also reacting to the new UK immigration policies, Sarah Owen, the Labour MP for Luton North, said the best way to avoid the UK becoming an “island of strangers” was to invest in communities so that they thrived.
“I’ve said it before and will say it again: chasing the tail of the right risks taking our country down a very dark path,” she warned, urging the government not to risk pitting people against each other.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “The problems in our society are not caused by migrants or refugees. They are caused by an economic system rigged in favour of corporations and billionaires.”
“If the government wanted to improve people’s lives, it would tax the rich and build an economy that works for us all.”
Opposition parties also weighed in on the new UK immigration policies.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage dismissed Starmer’s sincerity, claiming the Prime Minister was echoing his long-standing anti-immigration stance without genuine conviction.
Farage called Starmer a “chameleon,” accusing him of flip-flopping from his earlier pro-immigration stance as a human rights lawyer and shadow immigration minister under Jeremy Corbyn.
Additionally, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned that visa restrictions could exacerbate skills shortages in critical sectors like social care and construction.
Rain Newton-Smith, CBI’s chief executive, emphasized that hiring foreign workers is often more costly than local recruitment, countering claims of businesses exploiting cheap labour.
The UK immigration white paper released Monday includes restricting skilled worker visas to graduate-level jobs, banning overseas recruitment for care workers, and increasing the Immigration Skills Charge by 32% to incentivize businesses to train local workers.
Additionally, the time required for immigrants to apply for indefinite leave to remain has been extended from five to ten years, a move that could make UK citizenship one of the hardest to attain in the Anglophone world.
Starmer also introduced stricter English language requirements across all visa routes and emphasized integration, warning that without these measures, the UK risks becoming “an island of strangers.”
