London Mayor Sadiq Khan has sounded a strong warning on immigration, declaring that “London is living proof” of the benefits migrants bring, while cautioning against what he described as the continued demonisation of immigrants in Britain.
Speaking at the Fabian Society on Saturday, January 24, 2026, Khan criticised the tone of the immigration debate and called for a reset away from what he termed “hysteria, hatred and fearmongering.”
The mayor took aim at political rhetoric emerging across Europe and the United States, arguing that such narratives threaten both social cohesion and economic progress.
Khan noted that London has an ambitious plan to grow its economy by £107 billion by 2035, but warned that this goal could be undermined by a sustained fall in net migration.
His comments come amid a sharp decline in visa applications, particularly among highly skilled and healthcare workers, following tighter migration controls. In 2025, about 61,000 people applied for health and care worker visas, representing a 51 per cent drop from the 123,300 recorded in 2024.
The mayor cautioned that reduced immigration could have serious consequences for an ageing population and a shrinking workforce.
“I believe progressives must lead a new conversation on our own terms,” Khan said. “Not one shaped by far-right hysteria and fear, but one grounded in an honest assessment of the migration we need and the enormous benefits it delivers.
“The resurgence of far-right populism and nativism now threatens the idea that we can be diverse, united and prosperous like never before.”
He also criticised claims in the White House’s National Security Strategy released by President Donald Trump last month, which warned of Europe facing “civilisational erasure.” Khan dismissed the assertion as “preposterous.”
According to him, similar messages are being echoed by far-right movements across Europe, including France’s National Rally, Germany’s AfD, the Netherlands’ PVV and Italy’s Brothers of Italy.
“In the UK, Reform and the Conservatives are singing from the same song sheet,” Khan said. “They portray London as a city in decline because they cannot tolerate what it stands for — a diverse, progressive and successful city, led by a mayor who happens to be Muslim.”
He accused critics of spreading falsehoods, creating scapegoats and pitting communities against one another for political gain.
“This kind of rhetoric is not only wrong, it is cruel and deeply dangerous,” he said, adding that diversity should not be framed as a weakness or immigration portrayed as inherently harmful.
Data cited by MyLondon shows that applications for skilled worker visas fell to 85,500 in 2025, a 36 per cent drop from 132,700 the previous year.
The decline has been linked to policy changes introduced last summer, including restrictions on overseas recruitment of care workers and an increase in the minimum salary threshold for skilled migrants to £41,700.
In addition, limits placed on overseas students bringing dependants to the UK contributed to a fall in study visa applications, which dropped from 618,900 in 2023 to 447,900 in 2025.