British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to "tighten up" the UK's immigration system, vowing that migration figures will fall "significantly."
Key proposals include mandatory English language tests for all visa applicants and their adult dependants, along with extending the timeframe required to gain settled status, reports BBC.
Starmer also intends to curb the recruitment of foreign care workers—a move that a care home operator told the BBC would lead to "significant problems" for the industry.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the plans, claiming Labour "can't be trusted" to secure the UK’s borders. Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused Starmer of "making promises he can't keep."
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The measures focus on reducing legal migration, which constitutes the bulk of arrivals to the UK, and do not cover irregular arrivals such as small boat crossings.
Official data shows net migration reached 728,000 in the year to June 2024.