British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday stressed the need to reduce the UK’s dependency on “cheap foreign labour” and redirect efforts towards empowering the country’s youth. In a post on X, he wrote, “For too long, Britain has been addicted to cheap overseas labour, while 1 in 8 of our own young people aren’t in education, employment or training. I’m putting our young people first, investing in skills they need and ending our dependence on foreign labour.”
The announcement follows a major policy shift by the UK government to phase out the employment of foreign care workers, outlined in the Immigration White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System. The policy aims to better manage migration while investing in the domestic workforce.
Amid mounting public pressure and political scrutiny, Starmer’s Labour government unveiled sweeping immigration reforms aimed at securing the UK’s borders. The 82-page policy paper marks a definitive break from past immigration strategies, with Starmer blaming previous governments for allowing net migration to spiral—from 224,000 in 2019 to 906,000 in 2023, nearly quadrupling to the size of Birmingham’s population.
Emphasising the need to reduce dependence on cheap foreign labour, Starmer had asserted that the new plan would curb migration and prioritise investment in British workers, reaffirming his government’s commitment to domestic job creation and economic self-reliance.
According to the UK Home Office, around 1,40,000 health and care visas were granted in 2023, including 39,000 to Indian nationals. While these workers have filled critical shortages, concerns over exploitation have prompted the government to reconsider its strategy.
A statement from the Home Office on May 11 acknowledged that many overseas care workers had been subjected to “shameful levels of abuse and exploitation”.