Sir Keir Starmer said illegal migration and Ukraine will be the "two dominant issues" as European leaders gather for talks in Denmark. The Prime Minister arrived at the European Political Community summit on Thursday to discuss how countries can work together to tackle illegal migration.
Speaking to reporters, Sir Keir said there was "a big appetite" among European nations to collaborate on migration. "Obviously, I've always argued that working with other countries is always a stronger response," he said.
Government announces asylum changes
Ahead of the summit, the Government announced major changes to the UK's asylum system. Refugees will no longer have automatic rights to bring their families to join them and will face a longer route to permanent settlement.
Sir Keir said settlement in the UK must be "earned by contributing to our country, not by paying a people smuggler to cross the Channel in a boat". He added: "There will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it."
Migration minister Mike Tapp claimed migrants are "shopping around Europe to find the most generous system". Speaking on Times Radio, he said the Government inherited "a complete mess" of an immigration system with "open borders" and processing that had "grinding to a halt".
New settlement requirements
Under the reforms, refugees will need to be in work, not on benefits, and have a high standard of English with no criminal record. They must also reach a certain level of national insurance contributions and contribute to their local communities.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will set out the full reforms later in the autumn. The changes replace the current five-year route to settlement with a "new, longer route" requiring refugees to demonstrate their contribution to the UK.
Mr Tapp revealed that seven people have been removed to France as part of a "one in, one out" deal, calling it a "pilot scheme" that will "grow significantly". New applications to the existing refugee family reunion route have been suspended since September.
Criticism of new policies
The Refugee Council warned the changes would push more people to use smugglers and said family reunion visas "overwhelmingly support women and children". Chief policy analyst Jon Featonby said: "These unworkable policies have been promised before and we know that they do not have any impact on the number of small boats."
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp dismissed the changes as "another Starmer gimmick that will make no difference whatsoever". He called for the Government to repeal the Human Rights Act for immigration matters, as the Conservatives have proposed.
Record Channel crossings
The number of migrant arrivals on small boats has topped 34,000 in 2025 so far, marking a record for this point in the year since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018. Sir Keir will also announce a new partnership backed by up to £3 million to tackle migration causes in Western Balkan countries.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
