Overseas ‘medium-skilled’ workers will no longer be able to work in the United Kingdom. This is part of the UK government’s new changes to immigration rules, some of which came into effect on 22 July. This has caused widespread anxiety among those looking to migrate to the UK, especially Indian students and workers.
The new rules are based on a white paper, ‘Restoring Control Over the Immigration System’, published on 12 May. The document proposed a series of changes to make it harder for overseas individuals to migrate to the UK by tightening controls. The government, for its part, views these changes as a necessary step toward “controlled immigration”.
Indians are one of the largest groups applying for student and skilled worker visas, meaning the new rules will have a direct impact on them. For many, the UK is a dream destination for higher education, career opportunities, and the hope of being part of a broader, inclusive society. However, their aspirations are now being overshadowed by a growing sense of limitation, leaving many wondering if they will be met with an impenetrable wall instead of open doors.
A video of an Indian student tearing a blank paper during his graduation ceremony—a symbolic protest against the white paper—has recently surfaced on social media. The act captures the frustration of international students, particularly Indians. Since the video went viral, it has initiated a widespread online debate about immigration fairness, opportunity, and the human cost of restrictive immigration policies.
Labour was a beacon of inclusivity in UK. Its U-turn on immigration will hurt Indians
Eight proposals
Not all the changes proposed in the white paper have been implemented yet. How and when they are, and to what extent, remains unclear. Complete details of the new rules are still unavailable, leaving many Indian students and skilled workers in a state of uncertainty.
The white paper featured eight main proposals:
- Shortening the list of jobs eligible for visa sponsorship.
- Removing the exemption on visa sponsorship for social care workers.
- Taxing universities’ income from international students’ tuition fees.
- Stricter rules for universities, making it harder to maintain their license to sponsor student visas.
- Reducing the Graduate visa duration from two years to just 18 months.
- Increasing the qualifying period for ILR (indefinite leave to remain) from five years to ten years, making it a longer and more uncertain path for those looking to settle in the UK.
- Enforcing stricter English language rules for those already taking language tests.
- Making it easier for “highly skilled” people to migrate to the UK.
International students in the UK serve as the backbone of the country’s higher education system. Their contribution goes beyond the tuition fees that keep universities running. Students educated in UK universities are, in many ways, the UK‘s global ambassadors as well. They carry the values of the country with them, exchanging cultures across borders.
With the UK government now tightening immigration measures, that balance is shifting. The new rules seek to preserve the financial and diplomatic benefits UK gets from international students while also reducing net immigration. Meanwhile, the country’s growing focus on high-skilled work visas, shows a clear intent to attract only the brightest minds—a kind of “brain drain”, but on the UK’s terms. The move may benefit the UK in the short term, but will make it harder for a broader group of students and workers, those outside its narrow “highly skilled” scope, to build a future in the UK.
A privileged society is limiting its access to the individuals it deems useful, who often come from privileged backgrounds. The message couldn’t be clearer: if you ‘contribute to the economy’ and tick the right boxes, you’re in. The door remains shut for everyone else. This exclusionary approach reveals the scope of the values prized by the West.
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A shifting conversation
What’s interesting is that these tighter immigration rules come from a Labour government, not a Conservative one. Traditionally, Labour has positioned itself as the party of inclusivity—one that stood by migrants, upheld multiculturalism, and pushed back against narrow nationalism. The shift shows that even progressive parties are now bowing to public perception and majoritarianism. It also highlights how dramatically the Overton window on migration has shifted in the country.
This shift isn’t confined to the UK, either. Across Europe, nations are tightening their immigration policies. More and more people favour limits on immigration, driven by concerns over the strain on public services, national security, and cultural integration. But here’s the paradox: when people in the UK talk about their problems with “immigrants”, the majority (around 84 per cent) are thinking about asylum seekers and refugees. Only about 25 per cent consider migrant workers in the same light.
The conversation around immigration has shifted globally, bringing questions we can’t overlook anymore. Should policies cater to majority sentiment or the long-term benefits of a diverse, inclusive society? Furthermore, how will liberal societies now navigate public perception and the values they claim to uphold?
Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist, writer, and TV news panellist. She runs a weekly YouTube show called ‘India This Week by Amana and Khalid’. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)