Latest news with #KeirStarmer-led
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First Post
4 days ago
- Business
- First Post
UK: Migrants a political problem, Starmer moots $4 bn-plan to upskill 120,000 British workers
PM Starmer has a two-pronged task ahead of him: to boost the indigenous workforce, all while clamping down on migration. Labour Party has announced that the government will increase its English-speaking requirement for overseas workers which will eventually make it harder for migrants to stay in the country read more The UK government has authorised plans to train over 120,000 builders, engineers and care workers to cut down the country's dependence on foreign labour as the Keir Starmer-led government moves to curb immigration. The administration has allocated $4.1 billion to offer new apprenticeships, according to an official release on Tuesday. A 32 per cent hike in the Immigration Skills Charge, a fee paid by employers who sponsor skilled foreign workers, is expected to fund 45,000 additional training spots in sectors like construction and social care, which rely significantly on migrant labour. The government is also supporting initiatives aimed at adult education. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tuesday's statement said a planned 32 per cent rise in the immigration skills charge, designed to dissuade businesses from hiring foreign workers, would deliver up to 45,000 additional training places to 'upskill the domestic workforce and reduce reliance on migration' in priority sectors. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said, 'We're taking our responsibility seriously providing more routes into employment.' Businesses have said they cannot hire enough staff locally, warning that the tougher rules would harm the economy unless they were accompanied by a fundamental overhaul of the country's skills training system. Britain's PM Starmer has a two-pronged task ahead of him: to boost the indigenous workforce, all while clamping down on migration. His Labour Party has recently announced that the government will increase its English-speaking requirement for overseas workers which will eventually make it harder for migrants to stay in the country. A recent analysis by Boston Consulting Group warned that the UK's supply chains could be strained by the $1.2 trillion in public and private infrastructure investment projected by the end of 2029. The report advised expanding the shortage occupations list to ease recruitment of overseas workers and suggested loosening English language requirements for key visa categories. With inputs from agencies
Mint
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
From students to IT engineers, how stricter UK visa rules spell trouble for Indians' immigration plans
In view of the rising net migration in the UK, the Labour Party-led British government released a white paper that outlined its plan to crack down on immigration. This is not good news for Indians aspiring to settle in the UK. A white paper titled 'Restoring Control over the Immigration System' encapsulates the plan of the Keir Starmer-led Labour government to crack down on rising migration. The plan entails a higher threshold for getting work visas, widening the net of English language proficiency to dependents and importantly, stretching the time period for becoming eligible to apply for citizenship. The government statement says that the white paper sets out plans to create an immigration system that promotes growth but is controlled and managed. The white paper mentions that the threshold for skilled worker visas should be raised to the graduate level from the current A-level measure. This will adversely impact the care workers who are hired from overseas. There are expectations that the changes will cut up to 50,000 lower skilled and care workers who are likely to come to the UK in the next year. Migrants will have to wait 10 years to apply to settle in the UK, rather than five years under the current system. This means migrants who come on a work visa to the UK will be eligible to apply for ILR (indefinite leave to remain) after 10 years instead of the current five. Another rule which has been put in place is the English language requirement across every immigration route into the UK. This is the first time that adult dependents will have to demonstrate some proficiency in English to integrate with the population. Critics have said that this would lead to a split in families when partners or parents fail to qualify for basic English skills. Currently, students are eligible to stay unsponsored on a graduate visa for two years. The white paper recommends reducing this period to 18 months. The graduate visa was reintroduced in 2021 to allow graduates to stay in the UK for 24 months (36 for PhD holders) so that they can look for a job during this period. The white paper mentions that only 30 per cent of surveyed graduate visa holders were employed in professional occupations, whereas others were either unemployed or employed in administrative or secretarial occupations.
Mint
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
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. 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.
