Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce immigration.

In July we began implementing the first set of reforms outlined in the Immigration White Paper. These reforms represent a fundamental shift in the UK’s approach to immigration, focusing on higher skills, lower numbers and tighter controls. Our approach will end the UK’s reliance on overseas recruitment and ensure the system better supports investment in the domestic workforce.

We are now delivering on further commitments from the White Paper, with a range of changes to immigration rules laid on 14 October – focusing on tightening the system further and attracting highly skilled talent to the UK to boost the economy. The changes will come into effect over the following months.

This Government is pursuing a comprehensive plan to tackle illegal immigration, through targeted enforcement against the small boat gangs, stronger action alongside our international partners to prevent Channel crossings, increasing the removal of people with no right to be in the UK, cracking down further on illegal working, and continuing our efforts to clear the asylum backlog and end the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act received Royal Assent on 2 December 2025. The Act provides new tools, powers and offences aimed at strengthening cross-system working and enabling earlier, more far-reaching interventions against organised immigration crime and serious organised crime.

Furthermore, on 17 November, this Government published a statement entitled “Restoring Order and Control” which set out significant reforms to the UK’s asylum and illegal migration system. The statement outlined the current challenges, the Government’s objectives, and a comprehensive package of measures to restore order, control, fairness and public confidence in the system. In July we began implementing the first set of reforms outlined in the Immigration White Paper. These reforms represent a fundamental shift in the UK’s approach to immigration, focusing on higher skills, lower numbers and tighter controls. Our approach will end the UK’s reliance on overseas recruitment and ensure the system better supports investment in the domestic workforce.