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on September 20, 2024
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2024 has been a busy year for elections around the world, and on 4th July, it was the UK’s turn. Very much in line with pre-election expectations, it was ultimately the Labour Party that scored a healthy majority in the House of Commons, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule and vaulting Sir Keir Starmer into office as Prime Minister.
In front of the iconic black door of Number 10 Downing Street the following day, the new Prime Minister declared that “the work of change begins – immediately.”
There are, however, still many questions about what this “change” may mean for the direction of UK immigration policy over the months and years to come. Labour has already given more than a few indications of this in its manifesto, as well as in its actions since its rise to power.
Whatever longer-term stances and measures the new UK Government adopts on immigration, great numbers of Britons, as well as non-UK nationals, will be closely watching.
According to the public opinion and data company YouGov’s weekly “most important issues facing the country” tracker for 2nd September 2024, 47% of polled adults in Great Britain cited “immigration and asylum” as one of the most important issues. This placed it ahead of such matters as health (41%), crime (26%), and housing (21%).
Unsurprisingly, then, immigration policy was a key focus of Labour’s messaging in the lead-up to the election. The party cited the following among the steps it would take if it emerged victorious:
With the new Labour Government having only been in office for just over two months at the time of typing, much remains to be seen about how the Sir Keir Starmer ministry will approach a wide range of immigration challenges in the UK.
Nonetheless, below are some of the most eye-catching steps that the new Government has taken so far:
Such developments indicate a Government working at pace on a range of immigration priorities. We do not, of course, yet have a definite picture of what Labour’s approach to handling migration matters will look like over the entire term of the Parliament. The next UK Parliamentary general election must take place no later than 15th August 2029.
Whether you are looking to apply for a UK visa that would enable you to migrate to this Western European country, or you are instead seeking to extend your current stay or employ a foreign national in the UK, you will also need to be mindful of any relevant changes already made to the UK Immigration Rules before Labour entered office.
The first half of 2024 saw many significant alterations implemented by the then-governing Conservative Party. So, you might need to be prepared for such changes as the below when you next engage with the Home Office:
The above is not intended to be an exhaustive rundown of all the recent changes to the UK Immigration Rules to which you may need to be alert. So, our team at Cranbrook Legal would always emphasise the importance of seeking professional advice and guidance tailored to your specific needs in relation to personal and/or business immigration matters.
In each year since 1994, the number of people migrating to the UK has been higher than the number emigrating. Prior to then, immigration and emigration were approximately in balance.
The last 25 years have seen particularly historically high levels of immigration, as well as emigration. Nonetheless, in every year from 1998 to 2020, immigration exceeded emigration by more than 100,000.
2023 saw still unusually high net migration, amounting to 685,000, driven by increasing numbers of non-EU citizens relocating to the UK to work. This compares to the 764,000 figure provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for 2022, which is an upward revision from previous estimates.
The aforementioned UK visa policy changes are expected to bring about reductions in the net migration numbers from 2024 onwards. However, the outlook remains greatly uncertain.
The short answer to the question of what the new Labour Government has in store for UK immigration is… well, there isn’t a short answer.
Putting aside some eye-catching changes already announced and well-previewed ahead of the election – such as the ditching of the Rwanda policy – the evidence so far indicates we can expect relatively moderate shifts in immigration policy over the course of this Parliament, rather than drastic overhauls. It does seem likely that reducing net migration levels from the recent historically high numbers will still be a major focus for the UK Government.
There will probably be policies, however, designed to make certain forms of immigration to the UK easier, although the situation might vary somewhat from one sector to the next. As always, our experts in UK immigration law at Cranbrook Legal will closely observe the most relevant developments, and we will keep our readers informed via these news pages.
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