UK’s Starmer Vows to “Take Back Control” of Borders With New Immigration Crackdown

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to “finally take back control” of the United Kingdom’s borders, unveiling a sweeping overhaul of immigration rules in a bid to curb legal migration and counter rising support for the hard right, Al Jazeera reports.

“Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control,” Starmer told reporters at a Downing Street press conference, promising to reverse the nearly one million net migration figure recorded under the previous Conservative government.

Labour’s newly published Immigration White Paper lays out proposals that would tighten visa eligibility across the board. Changes include doubling the residency requirement for citizenship from five to ten years, restricting the number of overseas care workers, and curbing the length of post-study stays for international students. English language requirements for adult dependents would also be toughened.

The plan also proposes expanding deportation powers, with all foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences — not just those imprisoned — to be flagged for removal. Additionally, skilled foreign workers would be required to hold a university degree to qualify for a UK job offer.

While Starmer acknowledged the “massive contribution” made by migrants, he warned that Britain risks becoming an “island of strangers” without stricter controls. He declined to set a specific target but said he wants to see net migration fall “significantly” before the next general election, expected in 2029.

The Labour leader’s pivot on immigration comes amid mounting pressure from the far-right Reform UK party, which made significant gains in recent local elections. Reform, led by arch-eurosceptic Nigel Farage, won more than 670 local council seats and claimed its first two mayoralties, capitalizing on frustration over immigration and national identity.

The shift also risks alienating Labour’s more progressive supporters, some of whom may turn to the Liberal Democrats or the Greens in protest. Starmer, a former human rights lawyer who supported remaining in the European Union, is now navigating a complex balancing act between electoral pragmatism and party values.

Labour had pledged in its 2024 general election manifesto to bring down net migration, which stood at 728,000 in the year to June and had peaked at 906,000 in 2023 — far above the average of 200,000 in the 2010s.

Despite Labour’s landslide win last year, recent polling shows the party losing ground as immigration remains a volatile political issue in post-Brexit Britain.