Starmer says UK at risk of being 'island of strangers'

SIR Keir Starmer said high net migration had caused “incalculable” damage to British society as he set out a series of measures aimed at reducing the number of people coming to the UK.

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The Prime Minister, who said the country risks becoming an “island of strangers” without better integration, said he wanted net migration to have fallen “significantly” by the next general election - but refused to set a target number.

The plan, which includes changes to the way human rights laws are applied, is aimed at making the immigration system “controlled, selective and fair”, Sir Keir said. The government's promise to “take back control of our borders” comes as Labour battles a surge in support for Reform UK, which won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and council seats across England with policies including a “freeze” on immigration.

Net migration - the number of people arriving in the UK minus those leaving - stood at 728,000 in the year to mid-2024, down from 906,000 the previous year.

In a White Paper setting out the proposals, Sir Keir hit out at the Conservatives for running a “one-nation experiment in open borders” because “the damage it has done to our country is incalculable”. That included pressure on housing, public services and the economy, where there were incentives to hire foreign workers.

He addressed the nation in a press conference, insisting the plan was not motivated by a desire to take on Reform and the Tories but “because it is right, because it is fair and because it is what I believe in”.