The UK government, led by Rishi Sunak, has implemented a range of measures aimed at reducing net migration in the country, addressing a key electoral issue for the ruling Conservative Party. The new salary threshold for working visas has been raised from £26,000 to £38,700. Home Secretary James Cleverly also announced other changes, such as prohibiting overseas care workers from bringing family dependents and ending the 20% salary discount for workers on the government's shortage occupation list. These measures are intended to reduce net immigration by 300,000 in future years, although no specific timeline has been provided.
The move comes in response to mounting pressure on Sunak from Conservative MPs who demanded action to tackle surging immigration. Last week, the Office for National Statistics revealed that an estimated 672,000 more people had moved to the UK than departed in the year ending June. Immigration has become a key issue for the government, which has been criticized for failing to fulfill its promise to reduce overall numbers.
In addition to the salary threshold increase, Cleverly's plans include tighter regulation for care companies that sponsor visas, a 66% rise in the annual immigration health surcharge to £1,035, and a raised salary threshold of £38,700 for bringing spouses to the UK. The government also intends to review the graduate route to visas to prevent overstaying.
The statistics show that net migration in the year to June was primarily driven by non-EU nationals, with 768,000 more arriving than departing. This represents a significant increase from just four years ago when the figure stood at 179,000. Conversely, net emigration among EU nationals was at 86,000.
While the government's tough stance on immigration has been praised by many Conservative MPs, concerns have been raised about potential economic repercussions. Critics argue that the new rules may worsen staff shortages and inflation. Notably, the restrictions on bringing dependents have been met with warnings from the social and health care sectors, who fear these measures will exacerbate existing staff shortages of over 120,000 in the state-run NHS.
Labour Party representatives have seized on the fact that many of the measures announced by Cleverly reverse previous Conservative policies, including the salary discount for shortage occupations. Labour's home affairs spokeswoman, Yvette Cooper, criticized the government for lacking a comprehensive plan and failing to address training requirements and workforce plans.
Amidst the ongoing debate, the government is closing in on an agreement for a deportation treaty with Rwanda. This move is part of Sunak's strategy to push through his controversial plan to fly asylum seekers to the East African nation, bypassing legal challenges in the UK courts.