CAMPAIGNERS accused Sir Keir Starmer today of fanning the flames of the far-right after he claimed that Britain will become an “island of strangers” without tougher controls on migration.

The Prime Minister unveiled a new immigration white paper at Downing Street and leaned into tired hard-right rhetoric, vowing to “take back control” of Britain’s borders.

Sir Keir made the pledge amid panic over support for the racist Reform UK party, which recently won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election and more than 600 council seats across England.

But the Labour leader insisted he was clamping down on migration “because it is right, because it is fair, and because it is what I believe in.”

He said that countries depend on “fair rules” that shape values, rights and responsibilities. 

“In a diverse nation like ours — and I celebrate that — these rules become even more important,” he said.

“Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.”

Under the new rules, people will need to wait for 10 years rather than five to apply for settlement or citizenship, although “high-skilled, high-contributing individuals” such as nurses, doctors and engineers could be fast-tracked.

There will be new English language requirements across every visa route, including for adult dependents for the first time.

Officials will also revise the interpretation of human rights laws to review how immigration cases based on “exceptional circumstances” are handled.

In particular, it will look at the use of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to family and private life.

Sabby Dhalu, Stand up to Racism co-convener, said: “Many of the proposals won’t work and will cost Labour votes. 

“The recent elections and many polls indicate that Labour is losing many more votes to the Greens and Lib Dems than to Reform UK. 

“In order to win over these more progressive voters and defeat Reform UK, Labour needs to adopt refugee and migration approach that upholds basic human rights and dignity.”

Calling on the Prime Minister to apologise, Care4Calais CEO Steve Smith said: “Has Starmer forgotten last year’s far-right riots? 

“Shameful language like this will only inflame the fire of the far-right and risks further race riots that endanger survivors of horrors such as war, torture and modern slavery.”

Under the plan, there will be stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students. 

The amount of time that graduates can remain in Britain after their studies will also be reduced from two years to 18 months.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said the paper was “straight out of the Reform playbook. 

“With higher education already under severe financial pressure, any further restrictions which deter international students from coming to the UK could lead to universities going under.”

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote warned that the Prime Minister “should be concerned how his comments will be received by families of migrants who have been here for generations, helped build this country, financially and culturally, and without whom the NHS and the care sector would collapse.

“The Civil Service, too, benefits hugely from migrant labour but, unbelievably, at a time of a recruitment crisis, the government is deporting its own staff in DWP.

“Are these the ‘strangers’ he is talking about? He should seek to unite the country, not divide us.”

Scottish Greens’ Maggie Chapman MSP said that Sir Keir’s plan “will only serve to damage public services while throwing migrant workers under the bus with racist, restrictive and totally self-defeating policies.”

On Sunday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that the government would scrap care worker visas for overseas recruitment.

But Unison head of social care Gavin Edwards said: “It’s only the recruitment of workers from overseas that’s stopped the system from falling over.”

Unions are working with the government on fair-pay agreements in care.

But GMB national officer Will Dalton warned that “there is absolutely no chance these will be in place in time to fill the void these new visa restrictions will create.”