Britain must copy Donald Trump and consign “the days of mass low-skilled migration” to history, Chris Philp declared.

The Shadow Home Secretary vowed to deliver “sustained negative net migration” and stop foreign nationals from claiming benefits.

And the Daily Express can reveal Mr Philp met with US Vice President JD Vance to discuss how President Trump is making it more difficult for people to live, work and study in America.

They also discussed White House plans to carry out mass deportations to end the crossing crisis on the Mexican border.

Mr Philp said: “Mass immigration is not good for the economy. Just 1 in 7 of recent arrivals from outside Europe came primarily for work.

“And of those working, around half did so for low wages. And people who work on low wages pay less in tax than they consume in services. It is a myth that mass low skill immigration is good for the economy.

“Perhaps one reason that productivity has stagnated is that some businesses have relied on importing low-skilled workers instead of investing in technology and automation, as other countries have.

“One of the reasons there are 9 million adults not working is that business has hired low-skilled foreign workers instead. Rather than import low-skilled workers, we need to get people here into work.

“Of course, we welcome limited high-skilled immigration. In the tech sector, finance, scientific research, or medicine. We should make it easy to come and work in these sectors. But the days of mass low-skilled migration have to end.

"That is why only those who are making a contribution can stay permanently, and those who are not citizens cannot expect to receive benefits. And that is why we will set a binding annual cap on immigration, voted each year by Parliament. A Conservative government will set that cap at a low level to ensure more people leave than arrive. So we will deliver sustained negative net migration.”

Donald Trump has made it far more difficult – and expensive – for international students and foreign workers to move to the US. In a bid to encourage American firms to hire domestic workers, Mr Trump slapped a $100,000 fee on the H-1B visas.

But the US leader insisted he still wants to hire highly skilled foreign workers in specialised fields. Many companies use H-1B visas to help fill their workforces.

Net migration is currently around 431,000 a year. But it hit a record 906,000 in June 2023. The Office for National Statistics has warned migration will lead to another five million people living in the UK in just seven years.

Statisticians at the ONS predicted net migration will settle at 340,000 per year from 2028. And Mr Philp blasted Labour over the Channel migrant crisis, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of losing control of the borders.

The Shadow Home Secretary told Conservative Party Conference: “Their weak gimmicks have not worked. First they said they would smash the gangs, well that is laughable. Then they said the French would stop boats near the coast, that hasn’t happened either.

“Next, they said, they would send a handful of people back to France, maybe one of them could have a turn at being French prime minister. But none of their gimmicks have worked.

“This year so far has been the worst in history for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. And Channel migrants have committed some terrible crimes including brutal rapes and the sexual assault of young children, some have even then blamed that on their own culture.

“Labour has lost control of our borders and they are not fit to govern. And Keir Starmer has been saying for decades that calling for border control is somehow racist. We have seen him smear campaigners as ‘far-Right’ for demanding the very inquiry into rape gangs he was finally forced into agreeing.

“His Government even instructed lawyers to argue that the rights of illegal immigrants were more important than the rights of people in places like Epping, it’s disgusting.

“Well I’m here to say border control is not racist, standing up for rape gang victims is not far-Right, and if Keir Starmer won’t stand up for Britain then this Conservative Party will.”

More than 34,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year, with a record number of crossings in the months of March, April, May, June and July.

Police officers will be ordered to check the immigration status of everyone they arrest as part of Tory plans to deport 150,000 illegal migrants a year.

Frontline bobbies will be “mandated” to cross-reference details of suspects against “biometric borders data” held by the Home Office.

And a new Removals Force – modelled on America’s ICE agency – will be able to use facial recognition technology “without warning signs” to detect illegal migrants hiding in plain sight.

This could see teams springing out from hidden locations after monitoring an area with facial recognition cameras to detain and deport people living illegally in the UK.

Mr Philp added: “This weekend saw a historic announcement – that a Conservative government would leave the ECHR. We cannot, any longer, remain part of a system that prevents us from controlling our borders – no matter how noble its original aims. Those aims have been twisted over the years by judges here and in Strasbourg so the ECHR now protects dangerous foreign criminals and illegal immigrants.

“We must leave the ECHR. We will use the freedom provided by leaving to ban asylum and other claims for illegal immigrants. We will abolish the immigration tribunal, stop vexatious judicial review and end legal aid for immigration cases.

“We will use visa sanctions to make sure countries take back their own nationals. We will set up a removals force to remove 150,000 a year with no right to be here.”