Sir Keir Starmer faced a Left-wing backlash after unveiling his plan to curb immigration. The Prime Minister warned without firm immigration rules the UK risked “becoming an island of strangers”. He also said very high levels of immigration in recent years had caused “incalculable” damage to the UK. Proposals set out in the Government’s new immigration white paper will make it harder for migrants to secure citizenship, impose stricter English language requirements and end overseas recruitment for social care visas. The proposals and language used by the Prime Minister sparked criticism from some Labour MPs and unions. Nadia Whittome, the Labour MP for Nottingham East, posted on X: “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.” Sarah Owen, the Labour chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, said “chasing the tail of the right” could put the UK on “a very dark path”. John McDonnell, the former Labour MP who now sits as an independent, accused Sir Keir of “reflecting the language of Enoch Powell”. Responding to the Home Secretary in the House of Commons on Monday, the former shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn said: “When legislation of this nature is being introduced that’s serious and could be contentious, it’s critically important that ministers use careful language. “When the Prime Minister referred to an ‘island of strangers’, reflecting the language of Enoch Powell, does she realise how shockingly divisive that could be?” Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing accused Sir Keir of “scapegoating” foreign health and social care workers while the GMB union warned the social care changes could be “potentially catastrophic” for the sector. 06:26 PM BST That’s all for today Thanks for following today’s liveblog, as Sir Keir Starmer announced the Government’s plans to crack down on migration. We will be back tomorrow with more news and analysis. 06:21 PM BST Home Secretary refuses to say whether new settlement rules will apply to migrants already in Britain The Home Secretary has refused to say whether the new settlement rules will apply to migrants already in Britain. The Government announced that immigrants will need to have lived in the UK for 10 years in order to apply for settled status, rather than the current five years. But Yvette Cooper refused to say whether or not the changes would affect those already living in Britain. Nick Timothy, a Conservative MP, asked: “In answer to the Honourable Member for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, the Home Secretary refused to say whether her proposals to reform indefinite leave to remain, briefed to the media as a tough new crackdown, will apply to immigrants who are already here. If it does not apply to people already here, it makes a mockery of the very idea of reform. “So will she answer very clearly, will the new rules apply to existing immigrants or just those coming in in future?” Ms Cooper said: “We want the settlement rules to be amended as swiftly as possible and to be able to apply widely, but we will consult on the detail and it is right that we do so. And I would also say to him, this is one of just many things that we are needing to do to clear up the chaos that his party left.” 06:01 PM BST Calling migrants strangers ‘risks legitimising far right violence’ claims Labour MP Describing migrants as strangers “risks legitimising” far right violence, a Labour MP has said. Responding to words from the Prime Minister earlier today, in which he said that Britain risked becoming an “island of strangers”, Olivia Blake said that migrants were “friends and family”. The MP for Sheffield Hallam said: “Far from being strangers, migrants are our neighbours, our friends and family and integral parts and members of our communities, and that moves to cast them as strangers are both divisive and hostile and risk legitimising the same far right violence that we saw in last year’s summer riots. Have we learnt nothing?” Ms Blake appeared to be referring to the widespread unrest last summer after the murder of three girls in Southport by Axel Rudakubana. 05:47 PM BST Farage: Labour’s smash the gangs policy ‘a complete and total failure’ Labour’s plans to crack down on the people-smuggling gangs bringing immigrants across the Channel has been a “complete and total failure”, Nigel Farage has said. The leader of Reform UK said that there had been an “invasion” of those coming on small boats to Britain, prompting calls of “shame” from MPs in the Chamber. Mr Farage said: “The Home Secretary will be aware that five years ago I warned that if we didn’t leave the ECHR and deport immediately those that arrived in Dover via small boat, that there would be an invasion. And sure enough, I was right. He added: “Today a further 600 young men already today have been processed through Dover, perhaps the odd Iranian terrorist among them, who knows? Does the Home Secretary accept that their policy of smash the gangs is a complete and total failure. And if that’s the case, why should we believe anything else that they said?” 05:39 PM BST Starmer ‘reflected the language of Enoch Powell’, says John McDonnell Sir Keir Starmer’s comments about an “island of strangers” was “reflecting the language of Enoch Powell”, John McDonnell has said. The former shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn, who has been suspended from Labour, said: “When legislation of this nature is being introduced that’s serious and could be contentious, it’s critically important that ministers use careful language. “When the Prime Minister referred to an ‘island of strangers’, reflecting the language of Enoch Powell, does she realise how shockingly divisive that could be?” Yvette Cooper said: “The point that the Prime Minister has repeatedly made is that we need people to be able to integrate, to be able to be part of our communities, to be able to share with our neighbors, and that does mean being able to speak English, that is very important.” 05:27 PM BST James Cleverly: New reforms ‘a third as effective’ as Tory policy would have been James Cleverly, the former home secretary, said that Yvette Cooper’s reforms were “only a third as effective” as his plans were when he was in office. Mr Cleverly, the Conservative MP for Braintree, proposed changes to the immigration system that included changes to the salary thresholds for migrants. These were reversed by Labour when the party took office. He told the Commons: “In her statement, the Home Secretary said that the visa changes she is putting in place will reduce debt migration by 100,000 people a year. “The House of Commons library has figures that say the visa changes that I brought in would reduce net migration by 300,000 people per year. So would she now concede that her proposals are only a third as effective as mine?” Ms Cooper replied: “Nice try. He was in the Cabinet that massively increased net migration that pushed the numbers up. “The fact that he then belatedly had to attempt to restrict and reverse some, but just some, of the changes that he and his colleagues had previously endorsed and put before the country… means that, fundamentally, he was just desperately trying to close the door and deal with problems far too (late) without any proper strategy.” 05:20 PM BST Immigrants in UK ‘understandably worried’ about new reforms, says Labour MP Immigrants in Britain are “understandably worried” about the reforms unveiled by the Government, a Labour MP has said. Florence Eshalomi, the MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, said that she represented “a place where so many people from around the world have chosen to make their home, a place where so many people contribute to our community day in day out.” She said that many constituents were “understandably worried” about the reforms and asked for clarity about how they will affect those already in the UK. 05:11 PM BST Starmer has ‘undergone a miraculous conversion’ on migration claims Chris Philp Sir Keir Starmer has “undergone a miraculous conversion” on immigration and has “apparently repudiated everything he has ever believed”, the shadow home secretary said. Chris Philp said that the Goverment’s plan was “weak and it will have little impact” on the numbers coming to Britain. He told the House of Commons: “The Prime Minister seems to have undergone a miraculous conversion. “He has apparently repudiated everything he has ever believed, or perhaps the Prime Minister is doing what he always does, saying whatever he thinks people want to hear at any given point in time.” He added: “Perhaps the Prime Minister sees his minus 36 per cent approval ratings, and this paper is his desperate response.” 05:09 PM BST Ability to speak English ‘integral’ to contribution to society, says Cooper English language requirements will be increased and reformed as part of the crackdown on migration because it is “integral” to integration, the Home Secretary said. Yvette Cooper told the Commons: “Because the ability to speak English is integral to the ability for everyone to contribute and integrate, we will introduce higher language requirements and new language requirements across a range of visa routes for both main applicants and their defendants, so families too can work, integrate and contribute.” She added: “Throughout our history, Britain has been strengthened by people coming to start new businesses, study at universities, contribute to our cultural and sporting excellence, and do some of the toughest jobs in our country. But to be successful, effective and fair, our immigration must be properly controlled and managed.” 05:05 PM BST Social care visa pathway led to ‘shameful and deeply damaging increase in abuse and exploitation’ The social care visa pathway led to a “shameful and deeply damaging increase in abuse and exploitation”, the Home Secretary has said. The Government has announced that it will shut down the scheme and put an end to overseas recruitment of care workers. Yvette Cooper said: “The introduction of the social care visa led not only to a huge increase in migration, but also to a shameful and deeply damaging increase in abuse and exploitation. “When proper checks were finally brought in, 470 care providers had their licence to sponsor international staff suspended, and 39,000 care workers were displaced.” She added: “Overseas recruitment for care jobs has since dropped, but it must not surge like that again.” 04:59 PM BST Net migration ‘must come down so the system is properly managed’, says Home Secretary Net migration “must come down so the system is properly managed” , the Home Secretary has said. In a statement to the House of Commons, Yvette Cooper said that the white paper the Government published today would make the system “fair and effective”. “Net migration must come down so the system is properly managed and controlled. Second, that the immigration system must be linked to skills and training here in the UK, so that no industry is allowed to rely solely on immigration to fill its skills shortages.” She added: “The system must be fair and effective with clearer rules in areas like respect for family life to prevent perverse outcomes that undermine public confidence.” She also said that the system “must support integration and community cohesion”. 04:48 PM BST Labour MP attacks Starmer over ‘island of strangers’ remark A Labour MP has said that migrants “are not ‘strangers’” after Sir Keir Starmer said that Britain risked becoming “an island of strangers” without a crackdown on migration. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, said that it was “shameful” that immigrants were being “scapegoated in this way”. She wrote: “The government’s announcement this morning was an insult to those who have made the UK their home. “These migrants are not ‘strangers’, they are our friends, neighbours and family members.” 04:19 PM BST Labour MP suggests immigration reforms ‘slippery slope’ to fascism A Labour MP on the Left of the party has suggested that the immigration reforms unveiled by Sir Keir Starmer are a “slippery slope” to fascism. Clive Lewis, the MP for Norwich South, addressed plans to tighten legislation that allows courts to grant asylum to foreign criminals and illegal migrants under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in “exceptional circumstances”. He wrote on X: There’s a reason human rights were made to apply universally. “Because when you start picking off groups whom they don’t apply to you’re on a slippery slope to… “Well, having just celebrated the 80th anniversary of its defeat, you’d think it’d be obvious.” 03:52 PM BST How Starmer has changed his tune on immigration Setting out his flagship plan to reduce Britain’s sky-high migration levels, Sir Keir Starmer insisted he was pursuing the crackdown because he believed it was the right thing to do. But a closer look at some of his previous comments on the issue shows he has changed his tune over the years, Amy Gibbons reports. Just five years ago, Sir Keir joined dozens of Labour MPs campaigning against the deportation of about 50 foreign criminals to Jamaica. When he ran for the Labour leadership, he demanded “free movement” after Brexit, as well as “full voting rights” for EU nationals. 03:40 PM BST Labour MP for Dover insists migration plan ‘isn’t about Reform’ Labour’s crackdown on immigration is not related to the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, the Labour MP for Dover has said. Mike Tapp, the MP for Dover and Deal, said that there were “no outside forces influencing this” as he spoke about the Government’s new plans to bring down migration numbers. Reform won all seven seats from the Conservative Party in Dover in the local elections earlier this month. Mr Tapp told Times Radio: “This isn’t about Reform. We announced this white paper well before Christmas. This was in our manifesto to control immigration and secure the borders. So this is well and truly Labour. There’s no outside forces influencing this.” 03:10 PM BST Labour MP warns against ‘chasing the tail of the Right’ on immigration The Labour chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Select Committee said “chasing the tail of the right” could put the UK on “a very dark path”. Sarah Owen, the Labour MP for Luton North, said in a post on the Bluesky social media platform: “I am proud of what immigrants like my mum and those across Luton North have given to our country. Many serve in our NHS, open biz, enrich culture/arts & much more. “The best way to avoid becoming an ‘island of strangers’ is investing in communities to thrive – not pitting people against each other. “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. “Fair & sensible checks on immigration should not equal blaming all the woes of our country on immigrants, rather than the failures of those in power for the last 14 years.” 03:08 PM BST GMB union: Foreign care worker ban will be ‘potentially catastrophic’ The GMB union warned the Government’s plan to ban care homes from being able to hire foreign workers would be “deeply damaging” and “potentially catastrophic” for the sector. Will Dalton, GMB national officer, said: “Scrapping this visa will be deeply damaging – potentially catastrophic for our beleaguered care system. “The whole sector is utterly reliant on migrant workers – yet we still have more than 130,000 vacancies across the country. “Care work is difficult, often dangerous yet very badly paid. GMB is working with the Government on Fair Pay Agreements in care, which are desperately needed to give these highly skilled professionals the wage rise they deserve. “But there is absolutely no chance these will in in place in time to fill the void these new visa restrictions will create.” 03:05 PM BST Jenrick: Starmer’s plan a ‘recipe for disaster’ Robert Jenrick labelled the Government’s immigration white paper a “white flag for yet more mass migration”. The shadow justice secretary said Labour’s plans represented “another shameful betrayal of voters”. He posted on X: “The bath is overflowing, and they’re turning down the tap slightly. The only way to fix this is a legally-binding cap on visas, voted on by Parliament every year. “Starmer says a cap has been tried. That simply isn’t true. “The British people deserve better than this. We need action, not more consultations and delay. Like Blair, Starmer’s immigration policy is a recipe for disaster.” 02:52 PM BST Analysis: Labour’s change in tone on immigration has not been subtle It is easy to see just how far Labour has shifted its messaging on immigration by comparing Sir Keir Starmer’s language today with the reaction to the Government’s plan of Jeremy Corbyn, his predecessor as party leader. Sir Keir warned during his early morning press conference that without firm immigration rules the UK risked “becoming an island of strangers”. He also said in the foreword to the Government’s immigration white paper that very high levels of immigration had caused “incalculable” damage to the UK. But Mr Corbyn offered a very different appraisal of the situation, posting on X just after the press conference finished: There will be many Labour MPs who feel a lot more comfortable with Mr Corbyn’s message than with Sir Keir’s. The Prime Minister has effectively staked his premiership on his promise to reduce immigration but recent history is full of leaders who have pledged to do just that and have failed miserably. Delivering on the promise will be even more difficult if he faces a rebellion from within. 02:36 PM BST Nursing chief accuses Starmer of ‘scapegoating’ foreign workers The Royal College of Nursing has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “scapegoating” foreign health and social care workers, writes Michael Searles. Speaking to over 3,000 nurses, including hundreds of migrant nursing staff, at the RCN’s annual conference in Liverpool, general secretary Nicola Ranger said: “Many of you in this hall today started your nursing journey far away. So let me say again: you are more than welcome in the UK. Thank you for bringing your skills to this country and bringing your lives here. You know, more than I ever will, the obstacles, costs and the hostility. “But look at the Home Secretary and Prime Minister. The UK is so reliant on overseas colleagues, especially in social care. The government has no plan to grow a domestic workforce. This is about politics – pandering and scapegoating. It should be about people. “We need an immigration system that works for care staff, nurses and the people who rely on them. Drop the policy of no recourse to public funds and grant indefinite leave to remain to all nursing staff without delay. Measures like this will give people the security, respect and stability they need.” The Government’s immigration white paper will ban care homes from recruiting staff from overseas. 02:23 PM BST Reform chairman criticises PM’s ‘comically stupid’ remarks Zia Yusuf, the chairman of Reform UK, criticised Sir Keir Starmer for failing to set an annual target for reducing net migration. The Prime Minister said at his press conference this morning he did not believe it would be “sensible” to set a “hard-edged cap” because such targets had always been missed in the past. Mr Yusuf said this was “one of the most comically stupid things any political leader has ever said”. He posted on X: 02:20 PM BST Tightening of rules could cut visa numbers by 200,000 Labour’s tightening of visa rules combined with action taken by the last Tory administration could cut the number of visas granted by 200,000 a year, the director of the Migration Observatory suggested. Madeleine Sumption told GB News: “The modelling that the Home Office has released alongside this white paper suggests that they would expect to grant just under 100,000 fewer visas which I think at first glance seems broadly plausible. “That is a modest decline. If you compare it to the number of visas granted last year, it is about 10 per cent. The number of visas is already falling so we are looking maybe at a restriction somewhere in the order of 10 to 15 per cent. “It is effectively a collection of small and medium sized restrictions to the immigration system. It is not a complete rewriting of the rules.” It was suggested to Ms Sumption that Labour’s changes combined with relatively recent Tory changes could bring the number of granted visas down from 1 million to 800,000. She replied: “That sounds about plausible.” 02:00 PM BST Labour MP accuses Starmer of ‘mimicking scaremongering of far-Right’ A Labour MP criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s rhetoric on migration as she said the Prime Minister’s warning that Britain risked becoming an “island of strangers” mimicked the “scaremongering of the far-right”. Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, said in a post on X: “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. “Blaming migrants for a housing crisis and failing public services lets the real culprits off the hook: landlordism, chronic underinvestment and deepening inequality. Labour was elected to tackle those, not parrot Reform’s scapegoating, which will never improve people’s lives.” 01:53 PM BST Cooper to deliver statement in Commons on immigration plan Sir Keir Starmer faced the media this morning as he unveiled the Government’s immigration white paper. Now Yvette Cooper will face MPs. The Home Secretary is due at the despatch box in the House of Commons later this afternoon to set out the plan and to answer questions. There are two urgent questions on other issues before Ms Cooper’s statement so she will likely be on her feet at approximately 5pm. 01:46 PM BST Reader poll: Does the PM’s immigration plan go far enough? The Tories and Reform have both said Sir Keir Starmer’s immigration plans don’t go far enough while the SNP has warned the crackdown goes too far. You can have your say in the reader poll below: 01:14 PM BST Labour following Reform on immigration, says Farage Reform is “controlling the narrative” on immigration, Nigel Farage said. The Reform leader said Labour is “following Reform on all of this”. He told GB News: “We are controlling the narrative. In terms of the rhetoric, it is follow my leader. They are following Reform on all of this. “But do they have the will to drive any of this through? I very much doubt it.” 01:01 PM BST Reform leader: Starmer’s immigration promise was insincere Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to bring down immigration was insincere, Nigel Farage said. The Reform UK leader claimed the Prime Minister had changed his tune on immigration purely because of a desire to stay in power. He told GB News: “This is not the conversation of the north London dinner part set, believe you me. Many of the things he said are the same things I have been saying for over 20 years. “And that is Starmer’s problem. Insincerity. What does this man actually believe in other than trying to keep power for its own sake?” Mr Farage said there would still be “massive loopholes” in the immigration system under Labour’s reforms and net migration would still run “at many hundreds of thousands a year”. He suggested Sir Keir’s promise would come back to haunt Labour. He added: “Am I worried? I’m afraid not.” 12:50 PM BST Starmer ‘playing catch up’ on immigration, claims Farage Nigel Farage said Sir Keir Starmer was “playing catch up” with Reform UK on immigration. The Reform leader claimed the Prime Minister had brought forward his plan to curb net migration because he had finally realised how important the issue was for voters. Mr Farage questioned why Sir Keir had not announced action before the local elections at the start of this month when Reform surged and Labour stumbled. Asked if he was worried that Labour was now seeking to tackle immigration, Mr Farage told GB News: “Really? Really? They weren’t before May 1, were they. Keir Starmer has spent his whole career campaigning for free movement of people, wholly unconcerned about this subject. “So much so that their massive parliamentary majority was gained without immigration even being one of their five main priorities. “Now of course he knows that amongst the Great British public this issue rates even higher than the health service and he is just basically playing catch up with Reform. 12:24 PM BST Cooper won’t say if annual net migration will be lower than 500,000 Yvette Cooper would not be drawn on whether annual net migration would be lower than 500,000 by the end of the decade. The Home Secretary would only go so far as to say that the numbers of people coming to the UK would be down “substantially”. Asked if net migration would be below 500,000 a year by the end of the current parliament, she told GB News: “We are clear it needs to be substantially down. That is certainly the case.” Asked again if it would be lower than 500,000, she said: “It needs to be substantially down.” Ms Cooper said she would not set a target because targets had never been achieved in the past and that had “undermined the credibility of the whole system”. 12:09 PM BST Labour taking public for fools, says Badenoch Kemi Badenoch claimed Labour was “taking the public for fools” on immigration. The leader of the Conservative Party told Sky News: “It was astonishing listening to Keir Starmer’s proposals. I think Labour are taking the public for fools. Many of the fools he was announcing are things that they are voting against right now. “We brought in salary thresholds when we were in government… the first thing Keir Starmer did when coming in was scrap them. “Now he is saying he is going to have a white paper to look at the same proposals he just scrapped. Labour are taking us for fools.” Mrs Badenoch said the reforms proposed by the Government in today’s white paper were “nowhere near the scale of the change that we need to see”. 11:58 AM BST Philp: Starmer has no credibility on tackling immigration Chris Philp said Sir Keir Starmer was presiding over the worst year “in history” for migrant small boat Channel crossings as the shadow home secretary claimed the Prime Minister has “no credibility on this issue”. Responding to the Government’s immigration white paper, Mr Philp said: “This is the man who once described immigration laws as racist and wrote letters protesting at the deportation of foreign criminals. “Starmer has tried to claim credit for the reduction in legal immigration since the election - which resulted from Conservative policies. “Meanwhile, because Keir Starmer cancelled the Rwanda deterrent last July before it even started, this year so far has been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the channel. “Yvette Cooper admitted yesterday that their new policies would only reduce immigration by 50,000. That is not enough. The public rightly want the days of mass immigration to end. That’s why later today we will force a vote on creating a binding annual cap on immigration to be set by Parliament. If Labour were actually serious about slashing migration, they will support the immigration cap at this evening’s vote.” 11:52 AM BST SNP: Immigration crackdown out of step with Scotland’s values The SNP labelled Labour’s plan to ban care homes from recruiting staff from overseas a “devastating attack on Scotland’s care services”. Pete Wishart, the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader, said: “Keir Starmer must abandon his reckless plans to slash NHS and care workers from overseas - and starve Scotland’s economy of its valued and hugely-beneficial international workforce. “This damaging plan shows the Labour Party is a threat to Scotland’s NHS. It is a devastating attack on Scotland’s care services - and it will harm public services, businesses and economic growth in communities across the length-and-breadth of Scotland. “Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is, once again, treating Scotland as an afterthought - and it is completely out of step with Scotland’s values and economic interests. 11:46 AM BST Immigration reforms could have unintended consequences, warn Lib Dems The Liberal Democrats warned the Government’s immigration reforms could have “unintended consequences” for the UK economy. Lisa Smart, the party’s home affairs spokeswoman, said: “After the previous Conservative Government’s dire mismanagement, our immigration system has been left in tatters and public trust has been shattered. It’s right that the government is taking steps to fix our broken immigration system to ensure it works for our country. “However, this must be coupled with a clear plan to make it easier to recruit British workers to fill vacancies instead - including implementing our Carer’s Minimum Wage and speeding up reforms to the apprenticeship system - to ensure these changes don’t have unintended consequences for our economy.” 11:40 AM BST Greens accuse Starmer of ‘misguided’ attempt to win over Reform voters Sir Keir Starmer’s immigration reforms are a “panicked and misguided” attempt to win back Reform UK voters, the Green Party has said. Co-leader and MP for Bristol Central Carla Denyer said: “These ill-thought-through reforms are the triumph of a panicked and misguided rush to create headlines and try to win back Reform voters. “From closed down youth centres to shuttered pubs, people in all parts of the UK are feeling the bonds that hold their communities together dissolving. “And whether it’s rebuilding intergenerational relationships, or helping those who come here from abroad to integrate, strengthening those bonds requires support and crucially funding from central government. “But far from rebuilding our communities, this Government’s reforms are going to make things worse. 11:33 AM BST Starmer: ‘Common sense’ that migrants living in UK should be able to speak English 11:29 AM BST High levels of immigration caused ‘incalculable’ damage, says PM Sir Keir Starmer said an explosion in immigration to the UK in recent years had caused “incalculable” damage. The comment, made in the foreword to the Government’s new immigration white paper, represents a significant shift in Labour’s tone on the issue. It is likely to fuel speculation that the new crackdown was, at least in part, brought forward in an attempt to counter the rise of Reform UK. Sir Keir said in the foreword to the 82-page document: “In 2023, under the previous government, inward migration exploded to over a million people a year - four times the level compared with 2019. “This was a political choice that was never put before the British people. In fact, quite the opposite - the previous government repeatedly promised inward migration would be brought under control. “Instead, Britain became a one-nation experiment in open borders. The damage this has done to our country is incalculable. “Public services and housing access have been placed under too much pressure. Our economy has been distorted by perverse incentives to import workers rather than invest in our own skills. In sectors like engineering, for example, apprenticeships have almost halved while visas doubled.” 11:12 AM BST Refugee charity demands PM apologise over ‘island of strangers’ comment A refugee charity condemned Sir Keir Starmer after he said the UK risked becoming an “island of strangers” without controls on immigration (see the post below at 08.36). Care4Calais chief executive Steve Smith said: “This is dangerous language for any prime minister to use. Has Starmer forgotten last year’s far-right riots? “Shameful language like this will only inflame the fire of the far-right and risks further race riots that endanger survivors of horrors such as war, torture and modern slavery. Starmer must apologise.” 10:47 AM BST New laws to stop ECHR being used to frustrate deportations Parliament will decide who should have the right to remain in the UK under new laws promised in the Government’s immigration white paper. The Government will bring forward legislation designed to stop Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights from being used in the courts to frustrate deportation. Article 8 protects the right to respect for private and family life. The move follows The Telegraph’s disclosure of numerous cases over the past four months in which judges have cited “exceptional” reasons under the article for blocking deportation attempts. The Home Office said: “Legislation will be brought forward to make clear it is the government and Parliament that decides who should have the right to remain in the UK. “This will address cases where Article 8 right to family life legal arguments are being used to frustrate deportation where removal is clearly in the public interest.” 10:34 AM BST Badenoch: Labour doesn’t believe in secure borders Kemi Badenoch claimed Labour “doesn’t believe in secure borders” and questioned Sir Keir Starmer’s commitment to reducing immigration numbers. The Tory leader pointed to Sir Keir’s past criticism of immigration laws and said the Prime Minister “suddenly wants you to think he cares”. Mrs Badenoch said the premier “once called all immigration laws racist” - a reference to a book review written by Sir Keir when he was a lawyer in the late 1980s when he said the author had highlighted the “racist undercurrent which permeates all immigration law”. Responding to the Government’s immigration white paper, Mrs Badenoch posted on X: 10:27 AM BST Farage: Starmer will not do what it takes to control borders 10:20 AM BST Telegraph readers react to Starmer’s immigration plan Sir Keir Starmer’s immigration crackdown is dominating discussions in the corridors of power in Westminster this morning. The Prime Minister has promised immigration numbers will now fall as a result of his plan and he is effectively staking his premiership on delivering. Failure would have huge political consequences but success could help to take the air out of the Reform UK surge. Telegraph readers have been busy delivering their verdict on the plan in the comments section of today’s live blog: 10:09 AM BST Farage: Starmer making promises he can’t keep Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, accused Sir Keir Starmer in a post on X of “making promises he can’t keep” as small boats migrants continued to arrive in the country. Richard Tice, the Reform deputy leader, said that “Starmer’s invasion continues”, with “hundreds more arriving today”. “British taxpayer suffers even more,” he posted. 09:52 AM BST Labour’s immigration plan ‘more empty rhetoric’, claims Braverman Suella Braverman, the Tory former home secretary, claimed Labour’s immigration plan was “more empty rhetoric”. She posted on X: “I’ve heard too many empty promises to believe this time will be any different. More empty rhetoric from Labour. “Without leaving the ECHR and scrapping the Human Rights legislation we are unable to take back control of our borders. “Otherwise, the Prime Minister’s lawyer mates will overturn any decisions in the courts and render these changes useless. If there’s no cap on numbers, no withdrawal from the ECHR and no HRA repeal, this is just a waste of everyone’s time.” 09:27 AM BST PM ‘listening and learning’ from Reform, claims Tice Sir Keir Starmer has been “listening and learning from Reform”, Richard Tice has claimed. The deputy leader of Reform told the BBC the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Conservative “experiment” on immigration is “over” was just “warm words” and said “the real question is, will he actually deliver?”. “There’s no target, no number that can be measured against, whereas we’ve got a clear target: net zero immigration”, Mr Tice said. “In terms of the visas that you issue, you have got to understand how many people genuinely are leaving the country. You have your ‘sort of’ target, and you operate it over, let’s say, a three-year basis, and that’s the objective. “What we actually talked about having, for example, an employer immigration tax. So you’ve got to encourage, motivate, and sometimes use carrot and stick for employers, to employ and train up and skill up our own British people.” 09:19 AM BST Reader poll: Does Starmer’s immigration crackdown go far enough? Sir Keir Starmer talked tough this morning as he promised to reduce immigration to the UK. He said Labour will tighten all parts of the immigration system but he failed to commit to introducing a cap on net migration. You can have your say on the Prime Minister’s plan in the poll below: 09:14 AM BST Not necessary to quit ECHR, says Starmer Sir Keir Starmer said he does not believe it is necessary to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to take back control of the nation’s borders. Opposition politicians have argued that immigration crackdowns will never succeed unless the UK quits the ECHR. But Sir Keir argued quitting the convention would make it impossible for the UK to strike cross-border law enforcement deals with other countries. Asked at a press conference if going further on immigration would require “disentangling ourselves” from the ECHR, Sir Keir said: “No, I don’t think that that is necessary. I also remind myself that the international agreements we’ve signed have given us the basis for the deals that we’ve struck on illegal migration. “So the Home Secretary has moved fast, working with other countries to put in place materially improved deals with other countries in relation to migration that would not have been possible if we had been saying at the same time we’re about to withdraw from our international obligations. “You can’t strike those deals with other countries to work more closely together on law enforcement, to smash the gangs and to work on returns agreements – which is what we want to do – if in the next breath, you’ll say you don’t believe in international law.” 09:12 AM BST PM: Immigration should be controlled and selective Labour’s plans for controlling immigration should be seen “in conjunction” with the Government’s work on welfare, the Prime Minister said. Asked what his message was for “the nine million inactive adults in the UK” and to Labour MPs who may be “squeamish” about the Government’s tougher line on immigration, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Well, firstly, let’s acknowledge, within that nine million there are some people who can’t work, and we need to be clear about that from the start, but there are others who can, and as we’ve set out in our welfare provisions, the principles are clear – where people can’t work (or) are unlikely to be able to work, they should be protected and supported. “But where people can get into work, they should be supported. “The current system does the opposite, and so we will support them into work with a £1 billion package, the right to try and measures like that and that if you can work, you should work and I do think that this White Paper should be seen in conjunction with what we’re doing on welfare. “And on ‘squeamishness’, I actually think that the Labour Party has as core values the idea that immigration should be controlled, that it should be selective. “We should be choosing who we want, higher skills, the high talent routes into our country, and it must be fair, they’re basic Labour arguments and concepts for many, many years.” 09:10 AM BST Immigration crackdown not a response to Reform, says Starmer Labour’s immigration crackdown was not triggered because of pressure from Reform UK or any other political party, Sir Keir Starmer insisted. He told his press conference: “We will deliver what you have asked for time and again and we will take back control of our borders. “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.” 08:56 AM BST Starmer refuses to set target for reducing net migration Sir Keir Starmer refused to set a fixed target for reducing net migration. Asked to give voters more than just a promise, the Prime Minister said: “We do want to significantly reduce migration. I am absolutely making clear that is what it will do and that if we need to go further we will, so that is the promise I make to your viewers. “I don’t think it is sensible to put a hard-edged cap on it. That has been done in one form or another for the best part of 10 years by different prime ministers. The only thing that links those prime ministers and the various caps or quotas or limits they put in place is every single one of them failed.” 08:50 AM BST Higher immigration does not mean higher economic growth, says Starmer Sir Keir Starmer said recent years had demonstrated the belief that higher immigration leads to higher economic growth was false. The Prime Minister was asked what his message was to the Treasury which is said to hold that belief. He said: “The pure theory that simply higher migration numbers necessarily leads to higher growth I think has been tested in the last four years. “We quadrupled [net migration] in actually a very short period of time and I think whatever political persuasion you are it is quite extraordinary that net migration quadrupled in four years. “We have never seen that before in this country but growth didn’t shift, it stayed stagnant.” 08:44 AM BST PM won’t commit to annual fall in net migration Asked if he was promising that net migration will fall every year between now and the next general election, Sir Keir Starmer said: “I am promising it will fall significantly and I do want to get it down by the end of this parliament significantly. “That is what this plan is intended to achieve. The complete opposite of what you saw in the last four years.” 08:41 AM BST Starmer promises immigration numbers will fall Sir Keir Starmer promised immigration numbers will fall under Labour. He told a press conference in Downing Street: “Make no mistake, this plan means migration will fall. That is 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.” “We will finally honour what take back control meant,” he added. 08:38 AM BST Every part of immigration system will be tightened up, says PM The current immigration system is “broken”, the Prime Minister said. Unveiling the Government’s white paper, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Every area of the immigration system - work, family and study - will be tightened up so we have more control.” “Fair rules must be followed, he added. 08:36 AM BST PM: ‘We need to reduce immigration significantly’ Sir Keir Starmer said the UK needed strict and understandable rules on immigration. The Prime Minister said that without those rules “we risk becoming an island of strangers”. He said the pre-existing immigration system was “almost designed to permit abuse” and had to change. He said: “Nations depend on rules – fair rules. Sometimes they’re written down, often they’re not, but either way, they give shape to our values. They guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to one another. “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.” 08:33 AM BST Open borders ‘experiment’ is over, says Starmer Sir Keir Starmer said Labour’s immigration crackdown will “finally take back control of our borders”. The Prime Minister argued the plan will end a “squalid chapter” in British politics of broken promises on the issue. Speaking in No 9 Downing Street, Sir Keir accused the Tories of presiding over “chaos” and of running an open borders “experiment”. “The experiment is over,” he said. 08:25 AM BST Tories: Labour should impose annual cap on immigration numbers There should “definitely” be a “realistic” cap on immigration numbers, the shadow crime and policing minister has said. Matt Vickers argued Labour should follow the Tories’ lead and commit to introducing an annual cap on the number of people who can come to the UK. He told Times Radio: “There is no cap at the moment. There is no line that gets crossed, no line in the sand that we say is failure or success. We’re saying today there definitely should be a line. Parliament should be accountable for it. “They should look at what the needs of our economy (are), they should look at how many people are coming in, what we should set as a realistic target, we should be getting on with that job. When asked what the number should be, the Conservative MP replied: “Well, it depends where we are by the next election as to what we’ll set.” 08:20 AM BST SNP: ‘Absolutely baffling’ to impose restrictions on foreign care workers Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, said she listened with “absolute astonishment” to reports the UK Government is set to tighten immigration rules, including ending the recruitment of care workers from overseas. Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Ms Forbes said Scotland faced “demographic challenges”, and that “one of the most pressing issues that investors, developers, public services tell us right now is being able to recruit a workforce.” The SNP politician said: “With a small population of about five million people, Scotland needs a distinct immigration system, a distinct approach to the immigration system, we have shared that with the UK Government. “But you talk about restrictions to care workers, which I think is absolutely baffling to anybody currently working in the care sector, talking about restrictions for university students being able to stay on after their degrees, when we know so much of Scotland’s economic growth has come from international students that have chosen to be based in Scotland. “So our approach remains that if the UK Government is not going to do it, then Scotland needs a distinct approach to an immigration system, Scottish visa or otherwise.” She added: “I am in no doubt whatsoever that our care system is going to suffer from the changes that reportedly are going to be made today.” 08:14 AM BST Farage: Immigration plan is Starmer’s ‘big fightback against Reform’ 08:05 AM BST Care homes warn foreign worker crackdown will cause ‘big problem’ Getting rid of care worker visas risks causing “significant problems” in the sector, a care home chain director has said. Amy Clark, commercial director of a Cornwall care home chain, told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme that the measures could cause challenges because “recruiting locally is very, very difficult”. “The big problem that we would have is if we weren’t able to recruit any overseas staff because recruiting locally is very, very difficult”, Ms Clark said. “We try all the time to recruit locally. We put our wages up, we still don’t get applicants. “We’ve always paid higher than minimum wage, but that is becoming increasingly difficult, especially with the National Insurance costs and also the national minimum wage increase and the pitiful uplift from the local authorities in relation to the social care funding.” The Government is planning to stop care homes from recruiting staff from overseas from later this year. They will instead be required to hire foreign workers who are already in the UK or British staff. 08:00 AM BST Starmer vows to end immigration ‘betrayal’ 07:57 AM BST Migrants face 10-year citizenship wait Migrants will have to wait up to 10 years before they can apply for citizenship under a major shake-up of the immigration system to be unveiled by Sir Keir Starmer this morning. In a long-awaited immigration white paper, the Prime Minister will set out plans to end migrants’ automatic right to apply for indefinite leave to remain and citizenship after five years. Instead, they face a 10-year wait unless they are able show a “real and lasting contribution” to the economy and society, as part of a new “controlled, selective and fair” immigration system. You can read the full story here. 07:51 AM BST The key measures in Labour’s immigration white paper Citizenship: Migrants will have to wait up to 10 years before they can apply for citizenship, ending the automatic right to apply for indefinite leave to remain and citizenship after five years. Only people who can demonstrate having made a “real and lasting contribution” to the economy and society will be able to apply for permanent residency before the 10-year period.Language: Skilled foreign workers will face tougher English language tests to get visas to come to the UK.Foreign care workers: Care homes will 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.Crime: Any offence committed by a foreign national in the UK will be reported to the Home Office rather than only those crimes where they have been jailed, as is presently the rule. This raises the prospect that migrants could be removed from the UK for lower-level offences.Skilled workers: Re-introduce a threshold for skilled foreign workers to graduate level after it was scrapped by Boris Johnson. Employers will still be allowed to recruit lower skilled workers using the points-based system but only if they are in critical sectors.Students: The white paper is also expected to force foreign graduates to leave the UK unless they get a graduate-level job, based on skill levels rather than salary. 07:41 AM BST Tories: Starmer’s immigration plan does not go far enough Chris Philp said Labour’s immigration crackdown does not go far enough as he accused Sir Keir Starmer of “stealing” some of the Tories’ policy suggestions. The shadow home secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “They have certainly stolen one or two ideas, but that’s good – politics is about getting things done, and I’m pleased when our ideas get implemented. “But taken as a whole, I don’t think from what I’ve seen so far, Keir Starmer’s announcements will go far enough because we have the view that immigration – legal migration – has been far too high in recent years.” He said the number of overseas workers on low wages in the social care sector had run into the “hundreds of thousands” which, it was put to him, had happened under the previous Tory government. Mr Philp insisted that “late in the time of the last government some quite significant changes were made that are in the process of bringing the numbers down”. He said the Conservatives would cap the number of family visas with an annual limit and that social care firms “should not be allowed” to import large numbers of overseas workers on low wages. 07:39 AM BST Starmer set to unveil immigration crackdown It is a big day in Westminster as Sir Keir Starmer unveils the Government’s long-awaited immigration white paper. The Prime Minister will hold an early morning press conference in Downing Street to set out exactly what he and his ministers are going to do to reduce the number of people coming to the UK. The press conference is due to start at 8.30am and you will be able to watch a live stream at the top of this page. The Government will then publish the white paper itself at 9.30am. I will do my best to guide you through the key developments.