LONDON

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on Tuesday said that public confidence in the UK’s immigration system has been badly eroded.

Appearing before the Home Affairs Committee, Cooper was pressed on why the Labour government had yet to set a net migration target.

In response, she said: "I think there is a particular issue about confidence in the immigration system and frankly, quite understandably.

"The way in which those numbers shot up in such a short period of time – this really was a free market experiment, where employers were encouraged to recruit from abroad, including being given a 20% discount on the wages that they were able to pay for the people they recruited from abroad."

The remarks came amid scrutiny of Labour’s new approach to immigration, including the forthcoming Immigration White Paper and proposals to curb overall numbers.

A key part of that strategy involves ending the social care visa, a move the government says will reduce dependency on overseas recruitment in the sector.

Cooper insisted the care system could manage without relying on the visa route.

"We think that the care industry will be able to recruit from those who are here lawfully," she said.

That could include UK residents or "people who are here from overseas" in line with the law. She added that the Home Office is working with the Department of Health to support the sector through the changes.

On the asylum system, Cooper also faced questions about the spiraling cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels.

Asked if she would consider breaking existing contracts with accommodation providers, she voiced concern over the financial burden.

"I am concerned about the level of money that has gone into these contracts," she said, noting that they were agreed under the previous Conservative administration.

Cooper reiterated Labour’s goal to eliminate the use of asylum hotels entirely.

"We want to end asylum hotels altogether," she told the committee, adding that the Home Office is developing tighter contracts and working to exclude at least one existing supplier from future deals.

"We will keep all contracts under review, but the core mission we have to do is bring the overall numbers down in the asylum accommodation system," she said.

Net migration to the UK fell by nearly 50% in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ONS said the number of people immigrating minus those emigrating is estimated at 431,000 for the year ending December 2024, down from 860,000 the year before.

The sharp decline is largely attributed to reduced immigration from non-European countries, particularly fewer arrivals on work and study visas.