Key messages The Problem → Immigration has re-emerged as voters’ top concern, but the debate is dominated by punitive rhetoric over worka­ble policy. → The current approach(deterrence, harder routes to set­tlement and citizenship, focus on reducing numbers) fu­els irregular arrivals, harms cohesion, and denies the UK’s economic needs, especially in the context of an ageing population. → The work-based immigration system is not a holistic re­sponse to the UK’s labour needs, but a piecemeal re­sponse to the perceived need to reduce rights, resulting in a complex and messy system that heightens the risk of workplace exploitation. → 2024 saw at least 82 deaths in the Channel. The deaths of these innocent and vulnerable people were entirely unnecessary. They are the result of bad policies de­signed to signal hostility rather than to actually address the issue. Core Principles 1. The UK needs immigration to sustain growth and fund public services in an ageing society. 2. People will keep seeking safety and opportunity here. Policy needs to manage this in a safe, orderly, fair and responsible way, and politicians must reject xenophobic and dehumanising narratives about immigrants. 3. Protecting migrants’ rights strengthens, not weakens, community wellbeing, and labour standards. Priority 1: Asylum – Safe, Fast, and Integrative Create safe routes from Europe (a Ukraine-style model, administered with EU partners and Border Force operation­al input) to remove demand for smugglers and cut Channel deaths. Restore the right to work for asylum seekers awaiting de­cisions; international comparators grant access after 6–9 months. Estimated £280m net fiscal gain/year from lifting the ban. Fast-track clearly well-founded cases (e.g., Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan) through a light-touch identity/docu­mentation process to rapid long-term status. Replace for-profit accommodation with local-authority, not-for-profit provision that also expands emergency hous­ing for all residents; use 2026 break clauses to end out ­sourcing. Expected impact Fewer dangerous crossings and deaths; smaller asylum processing backlogs; reduction of harm; benefit to public purse from reducing temporary accommodation spend; faster integration and labour market participation; and deals with public concerns around irregular crossing through the development of a humane system. Priority 2: Labour Migration – A Rights-First, Economy-Ready System Reform labour inspection : meet ILO benchmarks over time; create a firewall between labour enforcement and immigration control to enable safe reporting. Scrap restrictive employer-sponsored visas that tie work­ers to a single employer and enable abuse. Adopt a genuine points-based visa : clear criteria(skills, experience, English, UK ties) with open work permission and freedom to change employers; stop ad-hoc, sectoral “bespoke” schemes and reliance on employer sponsorship. Integrate asylum seekers into the points system: recog­nise UK-gained skills/English/training so those meeting la­bour needs can integrate into the workforce, while preserv­ing Refugee Convention protections. Expected impact Stronger employment rights for migrant and non-migrant workers; less exploitation of the migrant labour force and increased wages; addresses sectoral shortages supporting a strong welfare state as our population ages. 4 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V.