Keir Starmer has vowed to slash migration levels and end what he called the Conservatives’ “open borders experiment” as he previewed Labour’s long-awaited Immigration White Paper during a press conference today.
In a pointed address ahead of the policy’s formal publication, the Labour leader declared the era of “unfettered immigration” was over, warning it risks turning the UK into “an island of strangers.”
Immigration to UK will fall
“Make no mistake, this plan means migration will fall – that’s a promise,” Starmer said. “It will fall significantly.”
He cast the White Paper as a “clean break” from a system he criticised as “almost designed to permit abuse”, accusing successive Tory governments of failing to manage border control.
“I’m shutting down the lab. The experiment is over,” he said, referring to what he termed a “one-nation experiment in open borders.”
Tighter enforcement
The proposals are expected to introduce stricter eligibility rules, tighter enforcement, and a renewed focus on integration, including a requirement that new arrivals “actively commit to integration and learning our language.”
Starmer declined to commit to a specific net migration target, arguing it would repeat past policy failures. “Going down the failed route is not a sensible choice for me,” he said.
Starmer staying in ECHR
Despite pressure from some quarters, he ruled out withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights, calling it unnecessary and counterproductive.
“Leaving the ECHR would make it harder to strike cross-border agreements on migration,” he said.
