Immigration white paper to be published in Parliament Today (May 12): Govt Press Note

White Paper is called “Restoring Control Over the Immigration System” and be 69 pages long

LONDON May 11: Britain’s failed immigration system will be radically reformed so the system is controlled, managed and fair under a landmark White Paper to be published today (Monday 12 May).

The government announced today that a new Immigration White Paper, set to be unveiled on Monday, May 12th, will introduce sweeping reforms aimed at overhauling what it describes as a “chaotic” and “failed” immigration system. The core objectives are to reduce net migration, restore control over Britain’s borders, and ensure the system benefits the UK economy by prioritising domestic workers.

Officials state the current system, inherited by the government, led to a surge in net migration to record levels, quadrupling to one million between 2019 and 2023, largely driven by a significant increase in overseas recruitment since 2020.

The upcoming White Paper promises to deliver on manifesto pledges by focusing on training UK workers, tightening criteria for entry, and reducing reliance on foreign labour. Key measures will include returning skills thresholds for work visas to degree level (RQF6), a reversal of policies that saw an increase in lower-skilled visas issued between 2021 and 2024. Salary thresholds will also be adjusted to reflect this higher skill requirement.

The government plans to address what it calls “chronic underinvestment in domestic skills.” Businesses will be encouraged through new industry workforce strategies to hire and train British workers. Employers seeking to recruit for shortage occupations will face tighter restrictions, including the need to first develop domestic training plans to boost UK skills and recruitment.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper commented: “Migration must be properly controlled and managed so the system is fair. Instead, we’ve seen net migration quadruple in the space of just four years, driven especially by overseas recruitment. We inherited a failed immigration system where the previous government replaced free movement with a free market experiment.”

Cooper added, “The last government lost control of the immigration system and there was no proper plan to tackle skills shortages here at home. This has undermined public confidence, distorted our labour market, and been really damaging… Under our Plan for Change, we are taking decisive action to restore control and order to the immigration system, raise domestic training and skills, and bring down net migration while promoting economic growth.”

Further measures to be detailed tomorrow include:

For occupations below the RQF6 threshold, access to the immigration system will be strictly time-limited and granted only with strong evidence of shortages critical to industrial strategy, coupled with employer commitments to domestic skills development.

The establishment of a Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG) to identify sectors overly reliant on overseas labour and guide investment in domestic skills.

The government asserts this marks a new national approach, prioritising UK skills, employer strategies, and workforce participation over immigration as the first response to labour shortages. While aiming to reduce overall numbers, the UK will remain open to “the best of international talent” to enhance economic growth.

These reforms follow earlier government actions, including the removal of 24,000 individuals with no right to be in the UK since July 2024. The White Paper is expected to outline comprehensive new approaches to migration across work, study, and family life, based on principles of control, contribution, and community cohesion, delivering on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

The full Immigration White Paper will be published in Parliament today Monday May 12.