UK to tighten visa rules to end ‘failed free market experiment’ – What it means for foreign workers

The British government is seeking to tighten visa rules to reduce the number of skilled workers arriving in the country through legal routes.

The United Kingdom on Sunday outlined plans to end the "failed free market experiment" in mass immigration by limiting skilled worker visas to graduate-level jobs.

The move is aimed at forcing businesses to increase hiring and training for local workers.

Keir Starmer government under pressure to tackle issue of record legal migration

Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led Labour government said the changes will be part of a policy document, known as a white paper, to be published on Monday setting out how ministers plan to curb immigration.

The Labour party is under pressure to tackle the issue, with the anti-immigration Reform party scoring a resounding win in recent local elections.

"We inherited a failed immigration system where the previous government replaced free movement with a free market experiment," British interior minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement.

"We are taking decisive action to restore control and order to the immigration system," she added.

According to the official data, net migration, or the number of people coming to Britain minus the number leaving, rose to a record 906,000 people in the year to June 2023.

In the same period during 2019, when Britain was still in the EU, the net migration was at 184,000 people.

According to the UK’s Home Office, a group will be assigned to identify where industries rely too much on foreign labor.

The Home Office said one of the measures will be to grant lower-skilled time-limited visas only on the basis of strong evidence of worker shortages and where employers can commit to increasing domestic skills and recruitment.

Starmer has pledged to reduce migration to the UK in response to concerns over the pressure this is placing on public services. The issue prompted protests shortly after Labour took office last summer, which descended into right-wing violence.

In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, PM Starmer said that previous Conservative governments had "lost control of our borders".

"I won't stand for it. I promised to restore control and cut migration, and I'm delivering with tough new measures," he added.

"Under the new arrangements, the Home Office will be informed of all foreign nationals convicted of offences.... and will be able to use wider removal powers on other crimes," said the interior ministry.

"Those who come to the UK should abide by our laws," said Cooper.

"The system for returning foreign criminals has been far too weak for too long. We need much higher standards," she added.