UK Plans Immigration Crackdown With Expanded Deportation Powers

The UK government, led by the Labour Party under Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, is preparing a significant immigration crackdown detailed in an upcoming White Paper. The reforms aim to tighten visa eligibility by requiring degree-level qualifications for skilled workers and imposing stricter caps on lower-skilled visas, focusing on reducing reliance on foreign labor and encouraging domestic workforce development. A major component of the crackdown includes expanding deportation powers to remove foreign nationals convicted of any crime, not just those sentenced to over a year in jail, addressing concerns about migrants involved in knife crimes, theft, and violence. The Home Office will be notified of all foreign offenders, and those on the Sex Offenders Register will be classified as having committed serious crimes, eliminating asylum protections for them. These measures respond to public concerns over high migration levels and political pressure from Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which has gained support partly due to immigration issues. However, Farage criticized the crackdown as a repeated, unfulfilled government promise, while Labour seeks to reclaim voter confidence ahead of future elections.