Sir Keir Starmer rejects immigration border demands despite net arrivals reaching almost 1 million

SIR Keir Starmer has rejected demands for an annual immigration cap despite net arrivals reaching almost a million last year.

But he promised to stem the record-breaking influx by ending our “hopeless dependence” on foreign workers.

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AFTERNOON He promised visa restrictions at a panicked press conference last night after it was revealed net migration will reach 906,000 in 2023.

blamed the previous one conservative administration Numbers have quadrupled since 2019 and the decision was made to “run an open borders experiment”.

do not declare migration “It’s a problem” for voters, he shouted: “This is inexcusable. And mark my words; “This government will turn a new page.”

But Sir Keir rejected calls for a hard cap on arrivals, insisting an “arbitrary cap” would not work.

There’s a risk of leaving him on the sidelines Kemi Badenoch And Nigel Farageboth support an upper bound.

Instead, he promised to reform visa routes in sectors reliant on overseas labour, forcing bosses to train Brits and tightening the “soft touch” employment laws.

While the Prime Minister has pledged a full plan to reduce figures “soon”, exact details were scant.

One-time Remainers also accused the Conservatives of wasting money. Brexit An opportunity to curb immigration.

The hastily organized speech followed a dramatic revision of last year’s net migration figures.

In May the Office for National Statistics (ONS) put the 2022-23 total at 740,000 but yesterday admitted it had underestimated this by 166,000.

Meanwhile, this year’s net migration figures from June 2023 to June 2024 amounted to 728 thousand.

1.2 million people at that time came to england – mostly legally but also by small boats – and 479,000 people remained.

This 20 per cent drop in annual net migration was largely due to measures imposed by the last Conservative government.

One of these Ban on care workers bringing their families Travel to the UK and also higher salary threshold for foreign employees.

The ONS said net migration, although high by “historic standards”, was “starting to decline”.

But with numbers the size of a city LiverpoolYesterday’s numbers still sparked calls for action.

Nigel Farage He said immigration levels were “appalling” and expressed anger at the “impact on people’s lives”.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip He said: “Such high figures put increasing pressure on housing and public services. We must act immediately.”

Minister of Internal Affairs to prevent small boat crossings Yvette Cooper yesterday signed a deal with Iraq to help shut down human smuggling routes.

The UK is giving the country around £1 million, including £300,000 for education police prevent smuggling gangs£200,000 to set up a border task force in the Kurdistan region and £300,000 to combat the border human trafficking and drug trafficking.