Drawing parallels to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed mass deportation of illegal migrants, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to sharply curtail migration into the UK. This announcement came after new data revealed net migration had reached an unprecedented 900,000 in the year ending June 2023—well above initial estimates and a record-breaking high for the country.

Speaking at a news conference, Starmer squarely blamed his predecessors in the Conservative Party for the crisis, accusing the previous government of intentionally designing a “one-nation experiment in open borders.”

“A failure on this scale isn’t just bad luck; it isn’t a global trend or taking your eye off the ball – no, this is a different order of failure,” the prime minister continued. “This happened by design, not accident. Policies were reformed deliberately to liberalize immigration. Brexit was used for that purpose, to turn Britain into a one-nation experiment in open borders.”

Starmer’s fiery rhetoric framed the issue as a systemic failure of governance rather than an uncontrollable global phenomenon. He accused the Conservatives of betraying Brexit voters by failing to deliver on promises to curb illegal immigration. Britain’s asylum system, he noted, has become a significant financial burden, costing the public purse £5 billion annually—a figure he described as “shocking.”

“Time and again, the Conservative Party promised they would get the numbers down. Time and again, they failed, and now the chorus of excuses has begun,” Starmer said.

Starmer used the opportunity to outline his government’s proposed reforms. Central to his plan are stricter rules for businesses hiring foreign workers instead of British citizens. He promised punitive measures for companies that fail to comply, including bans on hiring from overseas. Additionally, he vowed to reform the points-based system to encourage the training and employment of domestic workers.

“Where we find clear evidence of sectors that are over-reliant on immigration, we will reform the points-based system and make sure that applications for the relevant visa routes, whether it’s the skilled worker route or the shortage occupation list, will now come with new expectations on training people here in our country.”

Despite the urgency of his proposals, Starmer faces a political dilemma. Once a darling of progressive voters, he finds himself losing public support at an alarming rate, with a 49-point drop in approval since his landslide election victory in July. His tougher stance on immigration, however, has won praise from unexpected quarters.

Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe commended Starmer’s rhetoric, noting that his reference to an “open borders experiment” was a calculated move to align with public sentiment. “Starmer referring to uncontrolled mass immigration as an ‘open borders experiment’ is remarkable language, for a man of his politics,” Lowe said Saturday. “He chose those words VERY carefully, he is not stupid. Political winds are blowing very firmly in one direction. The British have had enough.”

Unsurprisingly, Starmer’s remarks have ignited criticism across the political spectrum. The Conservative Party has attacked him for inconsistency. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp argued that Starmer lacks credibility, pointing to a 23% increase in Channel boat crossings since his tenure began. Philp also highlighted that 6,000 more asylum seekers are now being housed in hotels, a costly practice Starmer had previously vowed to eliminate.

“Keir Starmer has no credibility on this issue. He has ruled out a legal migration cap, and since he became prime minister, Channel boat crossings are up 23 percent. And we learnt today that 6,000 more asylum seekers are in hotels – despite Starmer’s promise to end hotel use,” Philp remarked.

“We know the numbers are too high, and that is why Kemi Badenoch has set out that under her leadership, we will learn from past mistakes and adopt a new approach to lower immigration. This means a strict cap on numbers, making citizenship a privilege not a right, zero tolerance for foreign criminals, and an effective legal deterrent for illegal migration,” he added.

On the other end of the spectrum, Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK, chastised both Labour and the Conservatives for failing to address the migration issue comprehensively. Farage called the latest figures “horrendous,” suggesting they exacerbate economic challenges for British families.

Starmer’s position has also unsettled members of his own party, many of whom view his stance as a betrayal of Labour’s progressive roots. They worry his pivot to stricter immigration policies could alienate the party’s base, potentially leaving them vulnerable in future elections.

Migration is proving a fault line in British politics, and the data paints a stark picture. In 2015, before the Brexit referendum, net migration stood at 333,000. By 2022, that number had ballooned to 764,000; the most recent figures indicate an even sharper rise. While some applaud Starmer for tackling the issue head-on, others question whether his proposals are enough—or whether they mark an overcorrection that could harm Britain’s reputation as a tolerant and inclusive nation.

The stakes are high. With crime rates allegedly rising and job opportunities for British citizens perceived to be dwindling, the public demand for action is only growing louder. Starmer’s ability to manage this crisis could very well define his premiership. His challenge lies in balancing the urgent need to reform Britain’s migration system with the broader imperative of upholding the nation’s values of fairness and opportunity.

Whether Starmer’s strategy will be the solution Britain seeks or another chapter in the nation’s fraught immigration debate remains to be seen. For now, Britain finds itself at a critical juncture—one where political calculation must contend with the harsh realities of governance.