An Open Letter to Keir Starmer
We, the undersigned, strongly advise against the proposed changes to the UK immigration system of May 12, 2025, and your associated rhetoric. We are UK-based academics, researchers and writers who study politics. Our concerns are twofold:
First, the proposed changes are bad policy. They will make the lives of those in the visa routes harder and more insecure. They will also harm British citizens, placing our care and higher education sectors under further strain. Hurting the most vulnerable is exactly the opposite of what Labour should stand for.
Second, the government positioning itself as ‘tough’ on immigration and asylum will not have the intended effect of sidelining the far-right. We believe that accepting their core premise – the main problem facing the country is immigrants – only validates them. Attempting to outbid them with deportations and visa denials will always fall short. They will not be satisfied with falling net migration numbers. They will never be satisfied.
The far-right is on the rise globally. What is needed in this moment is a clear articulation of why they are wrong, and an aggressive defence of core liberal democratic values.
Signed (225) :
Alasia Nuti
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Gabreile Badano
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Michael Freeden
Emeritus Professor of Politics
University of Oxford
Rob Ford
Professor of Political science
University of Manchester
Santiago Sanchez-Pages
Professor of Economics
King's College London
Matt Matravers
Professor of Law
University of York
Neil Carter
Professor of Politics
University of York
Udit Bhatia
Lecturer
University of York
Jan Kandiyali
Associate Professor in Political Theory
Durham University
Ruth Kelly
Lecturer in Human Rights
University of York
Joshua Forstenzer
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Erica Baffelli
Professor of Japanese Studies
The University of Manchester
Hannah Kuper
LSHTM
Minna Kuper
Senior University Teacher in Religion, Gender and Society
University of Sheffield
Saba Joshi
Lecturer
University of York
Eva Herman
Research Fellow
University of Manchester
Matt Lesch
Lecturer
University of York
Rahul Rao
Reader
University of St Andrews
Jules Holroyd
Senior Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Clara Sandelind
Lecturer in Political Theory
Manchester University
Bradly Hillier-Smith
Associate Lecturer in Legal, Moral, and Political Philosophy
University of St Andrews
Jim Chamberlain
Philosophy Teaching Associate
University of Sheffield
Guy Aitchison
Senior Lecturer
Loughborough University
James Brown
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Sheffield
Colin Jennings
Reader
King's College London
Rebecca Buxton
Lecturer in Social and Political Philosophy
University of Bristol
Anna Sanders
Lecturer
University of York
Daphne Halikiopoulou
Chair, Professor in Comparative Politics
University of York
Gordana Uzelac
Reader
London Metropolitan University
Belinda Pratten
Senior Lecturer
London Metropolitan University
Alya Khan
Senior Lecturer
London Metropolitan University
Nicholas Watson
Professor
University of Glasgow
Eric Olson
Professor of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Meghan Blomfield
Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Rodrigo Campos
Research Associate
University of York
Roger Crisp
Director
Uehiro Oxford Institute
Lyndsey Stonebridge
Professor
University of Birmingham
Shawn Hargreaves Heap
Professor
King's College London
Simon Parker
Professor
University of York
Martin O'Neill
Professor of Political Philosophy
University of York
James Souter
Lecturer
University of Leeds
Adrain Blau
Professor of Politics
King's college London
Maxime Lepoutre
Lecturer
University of Redding
Nathan Oseroff-Spicer
Writter
Lise Herman
Senior Lecturer
University of Exeter
Jacob Erikson
University of York
Sandra Kroeger
Professor
University of Exeter
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Lecturer
Kings College London
Marco Giani
Senior Lecturer
University College London
Chris Armstrong
Professor of Political Theory
University of Southhampton
Harriet Gray
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Richard Bellamy
Professor of Political Science
University College London
Kimberly Hutchings
Professor
QMUL
Nicolai Gellwitzki
Lecturer
University of York
John Evemy
Lecturer
University of York
Elizabetta Brighi
University of Westminster
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Assistant Professor in Politics
University of Sussex
Julian Limberg
Senior Lecturer
King's College London
Jonathan Benson
Lecturer in Political Theory
University of Manchester
Joerg Schaub
Senior Lecturer
University of Essex
Portia Roelofs
Lecturer in Politics
King's College London
Cecile Laborde
Professor
University of Oxford
Paul Apostolidis
Professor
LSE
Yusuf Imaad Khan
PHD Candidate
London School of Economics and Political Science
Adam Swift
Professor of Political Theory
UCL
Christopher Bertram
Professor Emeritus
University of Bristol
Joseph Phillips
Lecturer
Cardiff University
Carol Atack
Fellow, Newham College
Cambridge
Anna Katsoulaki
Lecturer in Law
Cardiff University
Daniel Newman
Professor of Law
Cardiff University
Robin Jervis
Principal Lecturer
University of Brighton
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University of Hull
Ben Rosher
University of Glasgow
Keran Durkin
Lecturer
University of York
Lucy Riall
Professor
Daniel Hutton Ferris
Lecturer in politics
Newcastle University
Scott Williamson
Associate Professor of Comparative Political Economy
University of Oxford
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Assistant Professor
University of Birmingham
Rachel Alsop
University of York
Carolyn Snell
Professor
University of York
Alice Nah
Associate Professor
Durham University
Stephen Ashe
Associate Professor
Durham University
Rebecca Brown
Research Associate
Durham University
Victoria Basham
Professor of International Relations
Cardiff University
Aggie Hirst
Reader
King's College London
Virginia Mantouvalou
Professor of Human Rights and Labour Law
UCL
Jesse Bachir
University of Birmingham
Thomas Moore
Associate Professor in International Relations
University of Westminster
Simon Mabon
Professor of International Politics
University of Lancaster
Matilda Carter
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Glasgow
Kathryn Starnes
Manchester Metropolitan University
Gabriel Siles-Brugge
Professor of Global Governance & Public Policy
Peter Lawler
Professor
University of Manchester
Lisa Forsberg
Senior Research Fellow, Uehiro Oxford Institute
University of Oxford
Lucia Sa
Professor of Brazilian Studies
University of Manchester
Elizabeth Kahn
Associate Professor of Political Theory
Durham University
Dorothy Kwek
Cardiff University
Julie Clark
Senior Lecturer
UWS
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Associate Professor
Durham University
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University of Bristol
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Lecturer
University of Sheffield
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Senior Lecturer
The University of Sheffield
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Associate Professor
University of Nottingham
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University of Sheffield
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Professor of International Politics
University of Lancaster
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Senior Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Yva Alexandrova
Writer and PHD Candidate
University of Sheffield
Julie Walsh
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
University of Sheffield
Lisa Stampnizky
Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Aness Webster
Associate Professor
Durham University
Siobhan Lambert-Hurley
Professor
University of Sheffield
Jonathan Collinson
Lecturer in Law
University of Sheffield
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Professor
University of Sheffield
Kaltum Osman-Rivers
PHD in Sociology
University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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Host
Political Philosophy Podcast
Jonathan Wolff
Emeritus Professor of Values and Public Policy
University of Oxford
Tom Shakespeare
Professor of Disability Research
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Fabienne Peter
Professor of Philosophy
University of Warwick
Stephen Laurence
Professor of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Claire Dunlop
Professor
University of Exeter
Matthew Paterson
Professor of International Politics
University of Manchester
Kathrine Jenkins
Professor of Philosophy
University of Glasgow
Stuart White
Associate Professor of Politics
University of Oxford
Greg Lusk
Assistant Professor
Durham University
Liam Shields
Senior Lecturer in Political Theory
University of Exeter
Lior Erez
Research Assistant, Blavatnik School of Government
University of Oxford
Max Haywood
Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Political Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Miguel Martinez Lucio
Professor
The University of Manchester
Stefania Marino
Senior Lecturer In Employment Studies
University of Manchester
Christian Schemmel
Senior Lecturer in Political Theory
University of Manchester
Victoria Wang
PHD Researcher
University of Edinburgh
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Associate Professor
University of Oxford
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Lecturer
University of Aberdeen
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Lecturer
University of Sheffield
Phillip Roberts
Lecturer, Department of Politics
University of York
Matthew Gibney
Professor of Politics and Forced Migration
University of Oxford
Matia Vannoni
Senior Lecturer
King's College London
Paul Billingham
Associate Professor of Political Theory
University of York
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Lecturer
University of Manchester
Angie Hobbs
Professor the Public Understanding of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Sara De Jong
Professor
University of York
Komarine Romdenh-Romluc
Senior Lecturer
University of Sheffield
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Lecturer
University of York
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Senior Lecturer
University of Sheffield
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Professor of Philosophy
University of Warwick
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Political Theorist
King's College London
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London School of Economics and Political Science
Shuk Ying Chan
Lecturer
University college London
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Lecturer
University of York
Catherine Max
Catherine Max Consulting
Haley McAvay
London School of Economics
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Lecturer in Economic History
King's College London
Catriona McKinnon
Professor of Political Theory
University of Exeter
Judith Krauss
Lecturer
University of York
James Wilson
Professor of Philosophy
University College London
Tomaz Fares
University of York
Daniele Giradi
Lecturer in Economics
King's College London
Andrew Blick
Professor
King's College London
Luke Moore
Associate Lecturer
University of York
Koshka Duff
Assistant Professor
University of Nottingham
Nina Obermeier
Lecturer
King's College London
Matthew Whiting
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Miriam Ronzoni
Professor of Political Theory
University of Manchester
Robin Douglass
Professor
King's College London
Joe Turner
Senior Lecturer in International Relations
University of York
Jeanne Morefield
Associate Professor of Political Theory
University of Oxford
David Owen
Professor of Social and Political Philosophy
University of Southampton
Thalia Gerzso
Lecturer
University of York
Pavlos Vasilpoulos
University of York
Mollie Gerver
Lecturer in International Ethics
King's College London
Elise Woodard
Lecturer
King's College London
Anna Alexandrova
Professor
University of Cambridge
Luke Lavender
PHD Candidate
QMUL
Jeremy Moulton
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Myriam Fotou
Lecturer in International Relations
Cardiff University
Helen Dexter
Associate Professor
University of Leicester
Laura Brace
Professor
University of Leicester
Jeremy Moulton
Senior Lecturer
University of York
Elia Ayoub
Postdoctoral Researcher
Emmy Eklundh
Senior Lecturer
Cardiff University
Clare Stevens
Lecturer in International Relations
Cardiff University
Moya Lloyd
Professor
University of Essex
Sarah Drews Lucas
Senior Lecturer
University of Essex
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Lecturer
Kings College London
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Senior Lecturer
University of Essex
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Associate Professor
University of York
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Teaching Fellow
University of Leeds
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Professor of Modern Italian History
University of Bristol
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PHD
University of Westminster
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Durham University
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Lecturer
University of York
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Career Development Fellow
Durham University
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University of York
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Associate Professor
Durham University
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PHD Candidate
London School of Economics
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University of Nottingham
Alison Jobe
Associate Professor in Sociology
Durham University
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Professor of International Politics
University of Warwick
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King's College London
Giulia Cavaliere
Lecturer in Philosophy
University College London
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Senior Lecturer
King's College London
Koen Slootmaeckers
Reader in International Politics
City St George, University of London
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Professor
King's College London
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Department Lecturer in Feminist Political Theory
Oxford University
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University of East London
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King's College London
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Emeritus Professor Political Theory and Public Policy
UCL
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Lecturer
University of York
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PhD Candidate
University of Manchester
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University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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Chair in Sociological Studies
University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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University of Sheffield
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King's College London
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Senior Lecturer
SOAS University of London
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Professor
SOAS
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Lecturer
Department of Politics and International Relations, SOAS
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SOAS