Sir Keir Starmer says high immigration had caused 'incalculable' damage to British society

The plan, which includes changes to the way human rights laws are applied, is aimed at making the immigration system “controlled, selective and fair”, Sir Keir said.

The Government’s promise to “take back control of our borders” comes as Labour battles a surge in support for Reform UK, which won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and mayoralties on both banks of the Humber with policies including a “freeze” on immigration.

Net migration – the number of people arriving in the UK minus those leaving – stood at 728,000 in the year to mid-2024, down from the peak of 906,000 the previous year.

In a White Paper setting out the proposals, Sir Keir hit out at the Conservatives for running a “one-nation experiment in open borders” because “the damage it has done to our country is incalculable”.

That included pressure on housing, public services and the economy, where there were perverse incentives to hire foreign workers.

He addressed the nation in a Downing Street press conference this morning, insisting the plan was not motivated by a desire to take on Reform and the Tories but “because it is right, because it is fair and because it is what I believe in”.

He said “fair rules” shaped a country’s values and people’s rights, responsibilities and obligations, adding: “In a diverse nation like ours – and I celebrate that – these rules become even more important.

“Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.”

The White Paper is aimed at reducing numbers, clamping down on abuses of the system and ending a reliance on cheap foreign labour.

Sir Keir dismissed concerns that reducing immigration would hit the economy, saying the theory that higher numbers produced growth had been tested in the last four years, with “stagnant growth” despite the levels of net migration.

The Prime Minister also refused to give a target to reduce net migration by, instead saying it would “come down significantly” by the end of the Parliament.

Asked if net migration would fall every year, Sir Keir said: “I’m promising it will fall significantly, and I do want to get it down by the end of this Parliament, significantly. That is what this plan is intended to achieve.”

He added that “if it becomes necessary to take further measures, then that’s what we will do”.

The White Paper estimated that the measures will bring down immigration by 100,000 people a year.

The measures set out this morning are aimed at curbing legal migration, but the Government also faces a significant challenge in tackling small boat crossings.

On Sunday night, a migrant died off the French coast near Boulogne attempting to make the journey, while others were photographed after arriving in the UK today.