Labour has announced plans to restrict immigration and revamp apprenticeship training to address the skills gap caused by hiring from overseas. The Conservative Party, on the other hand, has promised to set an annual limit on work and family visas to reduce immigration levels if they win the upcoming election. The proposed cap would be determined by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) after consulting with various stakeholders, and would be subject to parliamentary approval. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized the need to further reduce migration levels, citing the success of previous measures taken.
In response, Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper criticized the Conservative Party’s proposed cap as ineffective, accusing them of failing to fulfill their promises to reduce net migration. Labour believes that addressing the skills gap through domestic talent will naturally lead to a decrease in immigration, and has outlined plans to reform the apprenticeship system to provide more training opportunities for local workers. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also pledged to prioritize British workers in hiring processes and crack down on employers who exploit labor market rules.
These immigration policies have become central issues in the upcoming election, with contrasting approaches from the two major parties.
The Labour leader proposed creating a new multi-agency Border Security Command to tackle people smuggling gangs bringing illegal immigrants across the channel.
The Border Security Command would be supported by hundreds of police officers, intelligence agents, and specialist investigators from agencies including MI5, the National Crime Agency, and Border Force.
PA Media contributed to this report.
