Decoding the UK’s New Migration Plan
Home Secretary unveils plan to cut net migration by 300,000 a year
The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has announced a new plan to reduce net migration to the UK by 300,000 a year, in what he called the “biggest ever cut in net migration and curb abuse of the immigration system”. The plan consists of five main points:
• A minimum annual salary of £35,000 for work visa applicants, up from the current £25,600 threshold
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/how-home-secretary-james-cleverly-aims-to-cut-net-migration-by-300000-a-year-after-he-unveils-his-five-point-plan.
• A cap on the number of visas for health and social care workers, who currently make up a large proportion of migrants coming to the UK
https://www.msn.com/en-au/money/news/home-secretary-unveils-plan-for-biggest-cut-to-uk-migration-in-history.
• A ban on bringing dependents for all visa categories except post-graduate research students
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-unveils-plan-to-cut-net-migration.
• A scrapping of the Shortage Occupation List, which allows employers to recruit workers from overseas for jobs that are hard to fill domestically https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/oct/04/suella-braverman-revives-tory-pledge-to-cut-net-migration-to-tens-of-thousands.
• A crackdown on student visa abuse, by preventing students from switching to work visas after completing their studies, and requiring them to leave the UK and apply from abroad https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67515674.
Mr Cleverly said that his plan would “deliver on the promise of Brexit” and “take back control of our borders”. He said that the current level of net migration, which reached a record high of 745,000 last year https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-student-visa-route-will-reduce-net-migration, was “unsustainable” and “putting pressure on our public services, housing, and infrastructure”. He also said that his plan would “protect the interests of British workers” and “encourage employers to invest in training and automation”.
However, the plan has been met with criticism from various sectors and groups, who warned that it would harm the UK’s economy, society, and reputation. The British Medical Association said that the cap on health and social care visas would “exacerbate the existing workforce crisis” and “jeopardise patient care”. The Confederation of British Industry said that the salary threshold and the scrapping of the Shortage Occupation List would “cut off vital skills and talent” and “damage the UK’s competitiveness”. The Universities UK said that the ban on dependents and the crackdown on student visa abuse would “deter international students from choosing the UK” and “undermine the UK’s position as a global leader in education”. The Refugee Council said that the plan would “undermine the UK’s proud tradition of offering sanctuary to those fleeing persecution” and “violate the UK’s obligations under international law”.
The plan will need to pass through Parliament before it can come into effect, and it is likely to face opposition from some MPs, especially from the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, who have expressed their concerns about the impact of the plan on the UK’s economy, society, and reputation. The plan will also need to be negotiated with the EU, as the UK is still bound by the terms of the Brexit deal, which includes provisions on the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU. The EU has previously warned that any changes to the UK’s immigration system would have consequences for the UK’s access to the EU’s single market and customs union.
