From welcoming to walling off: With its new immigration white paper, Britain’s Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer is taking a hard turn—and adopting both the tone and demands of right-wing populists.
Under pressure from Reform UK and Nigel Farage’s recent electoral success, the government has announced a sweeping package of measures that will drastically tighten immigration rules. Most affected: foreign care workers, their families, and international students.
Language Tests, Longer Waiting Times, Tougher Penalties
Anyone accompanying a foreign worker to the UK will now be required to pass an online English language test at A1 level—basic vocabulary for everyday conversation. Requirements will increase step by step: to A2 for visa extensions and B2 for permanent residency. According to government sources, language testing may even be required for refugees from war zones—undermining core humanitarian principles.
At the same time, the path to permanent residency will be extended: instead of five years, foreign workers must now wait ten. The care sector—long reliant on international staff—is particularly affected. The visa route for foreign care workers will be shut down entirely. Employers are told to recruit from migrant workers already in the country—many of whom are in precarious or exploitative conditions.
Integration as a Duty
Prime Minister Starmer declared that migration is “a privilege to be earned, not a right.” Newcomers, he said, must “commit to integration and to learning our language.” It’s rhetoric more familiar from right-wing populist parties like Reform UK—but now adopted as official policy by a Labour Party that once prided itself on its internationalism.
The crackdown extends further: any foreign national who commits a crime—regardless of sentence—may face deportation. Being placed on the sex offender register will now automatically classify a person as a “serious criminal” and exclude them from asylum protections.
Pressure on Employers, Uncertainty for Students
Employers, too, face tighter restrictions. Companies that repeatedly fail to demonstrate efforts to recruit British workers risk losing their sponsorship rights for foreign employees. Key sectors like IT and engineering—already suffering from chronic labour shortages—are directly targeted.
International students will face stricter rules as well. Those who complete their studies in the UK will have fewer rights to remain after graduation. Work visas for jobs below graduate level will become short-term and highly restricted.
Care Sector Raises the Alarm
The strongest pushback comes from the care industry. The national umbrella organisation Care England slammed the reform as “cruel,” accusing the government of weakening an already overstretched sector.
“International recruitment wasn’t a miracle cure—but it was a lifeline,” the group said. “Now they’re cutting it off—without warning, without funding, and without alternatives. It’s not just shortsighted—it’s a blow to the entire sector.”
Conclusion: Labour’s Hardline Stance Hits the Most Vulnerable
What Labour presents here is not a sober reform—it’s a political gambit. By adopting tough language and punitive policies, Starmer aims to outflank his right-wing rivals—at the cost of eroding asylum rights, scaring off skilled migrants, and pushing critical sectors like care into crisis.
Rather than offering pragmatic migration management, Britain’s government is opting for symbolic politics—on the backs of immigrants, refugees, and the people who depend on their labour.
