UK Government to Tighten Immigration Rules Amid Voter Anger
A record influx of migrants since exiting the European Union has prompted the UK government to announce proposals to tighten immigration laws. Britain has had 2.2 million new residents since 2021, the majority of whom entered the country lawfully on work or study visas, despite the fact that the post-Brexit migration system was created to limit low-skilled immigration. According to a Home Office analysis, this surge has resulted in heightened strain on public services and has contributed to economic development that has stalled.
Major Reforms Proposed:
- Doubling Residence Requirement: Doubling the requirement for residence in order to get citizenship to 10 years, restricting family members of low-paid workers, and closing some visa routes like that for foreign social-care workers.
- Tighter Visa Rules: The rules seek to cut significantly the migration inflows, which totaled approximately 728,000 in the year to June 2024.
- Public Support for Reform UK: The reforms come amid increasing public support for the populist Reform UK party, which blames the government for not acting on migration.
Criticisms and worries:
The planned measures have caused alarm among business associations and foreign labor- and student-dependent universities. Parallel policy changes are also under way throughout Europe, as governments react to the hostility of the electorate and reassess the economic dividend of mass migration.
Immigration policy will likely be a major election issue for the government, with politicians watching closely the effect of these planned changes on the electorate.
