London Mayor issues immigration warning

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has issued stark immigration warning, saying “London is living proof.”

Khan laid bare his thoughts on immigration to Britain and warned against what he termed “the relentless demonisation of immigrants” in a speech to the Fabian Society.

He urged delegates to “reset” the debate away from “hysteria, hatred and fearmongering”.

The Mayor blasted the rhetoric coming from political parties across Europe and the US as he spoke before the think-tank at 12.30pm Saturday, January 24.

He said London has a plan to boost its economy by £107bn by 2035 but stated this could be under threat if there is a continued drop in net migration.

It comes as visa applications for high skilled and healthcare workers fell sharply in 2025, following a further tightening of migration controls. Some 61,000 people applied for the health and care worker visa last year, down just over a half (51%) from 123,300 in 2024.

He warned about the effects of falling immigration on an ageing population with a shrinking workforce, adding: “I believe we progressives must be at the forefront of starting a new conversation on our own terms. Not one dictated by the hysteria, hatred and fearmongering of the far-right, but based on an honest assessment of the migration we need – given the huge benefits it brings.

“The resurgence of far-right populism and nativism means that the idea that we can be diverse, united and prosperous is under threat like never before.”

He referred to the White House’s National Security Strategy released by Trump last month, which stated Europe is at risk of “civilisational erasure”, a claim the mayor described as “preposterous”, before adding: “The far-right is spreading the same message in Europe, with the National Rally in France, the AfD in Germany, the PVV in the Netherlands and the Brothers of Italy.

“Over here, Reform and the Tories are dancing to the same tune. They paint a dystopian picture of London as a city that’s fallen. And let’s be frank – they do so because they can’t stand what London represents – a city that’s diverse, progressive and thriving, with a mayor who happens to be a Muslim.

“The fact that this is the greatest city in the world makes a mockery of their entire worldview. So, they construct lies, seek to manufacture an enemy, pit citizens against one another for political gain, and stoke fear by blaming “the other” for all of society’s ills.

“This rhetoric isn’t just false – it’s cruel, callous and deeply dangerous. That’s why we must fight back against this narrative that diversity is inherently bad for our society, and therefore all immigration is too.”

MyLondon reported that the number of people applying for a skilled worker visa in 2025 fell to 85,500, down 36% from 132,700.

These drops, the magazine reasons, may reflect changes introduced by Labour last summer to restrict the arrival of foreign nationals, including ending overseas recruitment of care workers and raising the minimum salary for skilled workers to £41,700.

It noted that the Tory administration also stopped most overseas students from bringing dependants to the UK, which saw applicants for study visas drop from 618,900 in 2023 to 447,900 in 2025.