The United Kingdom (UK) is set to increase English-speaking requirements for migrants, making it harder for them to come or to stay in the country as part of efforts to rein in levels of net immigration that have skyrocketed in recent years.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a post on X said, “If you want to live in the UK, you should speak English. That’s common sense. So we’re raising English language requirements across every main immigration route.”
In a statement from Prime Minister Starmer’s office, Britain’s new immigration system will also end automatic settlement and citizenship rights for anyone living in the country for more than five years.
“When people come to our country, they should also commit to integration and to learning our language,” Starmer said in the statement. “Every area of the immigration system, including work, family and study, will be tightened up so we have more control. Enforcement will be tougher than ever and migration numbers will fall.”
READ MORE: UK to Scrap Visas for Care Workers in New Immigration Crackdown
Migrants will be required to spend a decade in the country before applying to stay, unless they can show a “real and lasting contribution to the economy and society,” it said. Professionals, including nurses, doctors, engineers and specialists in artificial intelligence,e will be given fast-track routes.
The new system will be “one that recognizes those who genuinely contribute to Britain’s growth and society, while restoring common sense and control to our borders,” Starmer said. “This is a clean break from the past and will ensure settlement in this country is a privilege that must be earned, not a right.”
The plans are set to be unveiled on Monday in a white paper that also includes proposals to end overseas recruitment by care companies.
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