Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to cut immigration “significantly” as he called the increase in people coming to the UK recent years “off the scale”. The prime minister launched a stinging attack on the Tories’ handling of UK borders as revised estimates revealed net migration to the UK hit a record 906,000 in 2023.
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00:00We will publish a White Paper imminently, which sets out a plan to reduce immigration.
00:07The Migration Advisory Committee is already conducting a review.
00:12And where we find clear evidence of sectors that are over-reliant on immigration, we will
00:18reform the points-based system and make sure that applications for the relevant visa routes,
00:24whether it's the skilled worker route or the shortage occupation list, will now come
00:29with new expectations on training people here in our country.
00:35We will also crack down on any abuse of the visa routes.
00:39For far too long, we've been casual about malpractice in our labour market, which sends
00:45a clear signal overseas that we're a soft touch.
00:49Well, no more.
00:52Our rules will be enforced.
00:54Any employers who refuse to play ball, they'll be banned from hiring overseas labour.
01:01And I'm pleased to announce today a new security agreement between Iraq and the UK.
01:07This is a world first that will help us smash the people-smuggling gangs and secure our
01:14borders.
01:15The Home Secretary has been out in Iraq to seal this deal, and we've also announced
01:21funding for Iraqi law enforcement to tackle this problem upstream, way before it reaches
01:29our shores.
01:30We're also tackling the utter mess we inherited in the Home Office.
01:35Asylum returns up 53% in the last 12 months compared with the previous year.
01:42Total returns up 34% in the last year.
01:47And we will keep on going, because this is the work of change.
01:51And alongside the NHS and the economy, securing our borders is the issue that matters to working
01:58people.
02:00What people want from politics is not unreasonable.
02:05They want order and security.
02:08Borders that we control.
02:10An NHS that protects you.
02:12An economy that offers secure work and good opportunities.
02:16Not just for a few at the top, but for everyone.
02:21Let me say directly to the people watching, where the last government failed you, this
02:27one will not.
02:29They drove immigration numbers up.
02:32We will get them down.