Conservatives to introduce immigration cap ·

The Conservatives have today (Tuesday 4 June) announced a new annual cap on visas to build on our progress in bringing migration levels down and ensure migration levels continue to fall each year over the next Parliament. 

We will give Parliament a direct role in setting the levels of migration, putting the decision in the hands of publicly accountable elected representatives and giving voters confidence their views will be respected and reflected.

It comes as evidence shows the Conservative plan to bring down migration numbers is working, with net migration cut by 10 percent last year and 300,000 fewer people eligible to come to the UK. So far this year, applications on key visa routes are down by a quarter on last year.

As part of our plan to take further bold action, we will ask the expert Migration Advisory Committee to provide a recommendation for level of the annual cap. Government will then consider their advice and put forward a proposal to Parliament for a vote. Our remit to the Committee will be explicit that our objective is to get migration down to sustainable levels, for levels to fall year-on-year over the next Parliament and that they must consider both the costs and benefits of migration.

Labour have no plan to get immigration numbers under control. They would let a quota of 250,000 more people come to the UK from the EU every year as part of the sweetheart deal they want to negotiate the EU. Their amnesty for illegal immigrants would allow thousands more to stay in the UK rather than be returned home or sent to a safe third country - resulting in more people making dangerous journeys across the channel. 

By capping migration numbers each year, we will ensure that public services are protected and housing is not overburdened, while still bringing the skills our businesses and NHS need.  

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“We have taken bold action to cut the number of people coming to this country. The plan is working but migration levels are still too high, so we are going further.

“Labour's migrant amnesty will make the UK a global magnet for illegal immigrants and they have no plan to reduce net migration, while we have a clear plan to stop the boats and put a legal cap on numbers.

“The Conservatives are the only party that is willing take the bold action needed to cut immigration figures.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact the Press Office on 020 7984 8121 or email us at press@conservatives.com.

Notes to Editors

Under Rishi Sunak, we have been delivering bold action to bring down migration 

·                  Taking action to cut the number of people who were eligible to come to the UK last year by 300,000. The changes we announced in 2023 mean 300,000 people who were eligible to come to the UK last year, will now not be. (HO, Fact Sheet, 1 February 2024, link; Hansard, 25 May 2023, HCWS 800, link; Home Office, News Story, 2 January 2023, link) 

·                  Banning overseas students from bringing family members to the UK. We removed the right to bring dependants on a student visa other than on postgraduate research programmes. In the first four months of 2024 there were 79 per cent fewer student dependant applications compared to last year. (Home Office, Official Statistics, 22 May 2024, link) 

·                  Ending abuse via the Health and Care Visa. We stopped overseas care workers from bringing dependants and required social care firms in England to be CQC registered to sponsor visas. In the first four months of 2024 there were 76 per cent fewer applications on the Health and Care visa. (Home Office, Official Statistics, 22 May 2024, link) 

·                  Stopping immigration undercutting British workers. We increased the salary threshold for skilled worker visas by 48 per cent, to £38,700, in line with the median full-time wage for equivalent jobs. We scrapped the 20 per cent going rate salary discount for shortage occupations and replaced the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary Discount List. (Home Office, Blog, 23 May 2024, link.) 

·                  Ensuring people only sponsor family members they can support financially. We are raising the minimum income for family visas to £38,700 by early 2025 in line with the salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route. (Home Office, Blog, 23 May 2024, link.) 

·                  Cracking down on abuse on the Study visa. We will tackle abuse by introducing a mandatory registration scheme for agents; introducing tougher sponsorship standards for providers and removing sponsor licences if they fail to meet them; rooting out low-quality franchise providers who sell immigration rather than education; ensuring overseas students can support themselves financially; and making sure international students have a better level of English. (Home Office, Blog, 23 May 2024, link.) 

·                  Increasing migrant health fees to pay for the NHS, by increasing the Immigration Health Surcharge from £634 to £1,035 earlier this year. (Home Office, Impact Assessment, 19 October 2023, link.) 

·                  Net migration was down 10 per cent last year – even before our changes came into effect. The latest data shows Applications for Skilled Worker, Study and Health and Care visas have fallen by 25 per cent in the first four months of this year compared to last year. (ONS, Long-term international migration, provisional: year ending December 2023, 23 May 2024, link) 

The Conservatives have a clear plan to continue to reduce migration  
 

·                  Introducing an annual cap on the number of visas that are granted to those coming to the UK to work or join their family. The legal cap will be imposed on the number of visas that can be granted to those coming to the UK on work or family routes. Temporary work routes, such as Seasonal Agricultural Workers, would not fall within the cap. 

·                  Commissioning the independent expert Migration Advisory Committee to recommend the annual level to government, with a remit that explicitly considers both the costs and benefits of migration. Our remit to the MAC will be clear that our objective is to get migration down to sustainable levels, with an overall cap that falls every year in the next Parliament. The remit will prioritise the economy, but as well as looking at the economic benefits it will have an explicit mandate to look at the economic costs of migration, including the impact on public services, wages and productivity. The MAC will consult with business, the NHS, local authorities and public services and provide a recommendation to government for government to then consider. We will consult on the exact design of the cap would work and the level setting process. 

·                  Giving Parliament a vote on the annual legal cap – so voters have confidence that immigration numbers will be controlled. The government will put forward its proposed level to Parliament for an annual vote. 

Labour have no plan and will not bring down migration 

·                  Labour would let 250,000 more people come to the UK every year, showing they have no plan to get immigration under control. Labour would scrap the Rwanda Scheme and relax immigration controls which would mean 250,000 more people coming to the UK every year under a Labour government. (The Daily Express, 25 February 2024, link ) 

·                  Keir Starmer promised to bring back freedom of movement if he ever became Prime Minister but has now flip-flopped, showing he will say anything to get elected. STUDIO: ‘If you become Labour Prime Minister, will you bring back freedom of movement of EU citizens to the UK?' STARMER: ‘Yes of course – bring back, argue for, challenge'. (Hansard, 30 June 2020, Div.65, link; BBC One, The Andrew Marr Show, 9 October 2016, archived.) 

·                  Labour voted against ending free movement, showing they still cannot be trusted to deliver on the people's priorities. Despite Keir Starmer admitting that immigration should be reduced, Labour still voted against our Immigration Act which will end free movement and bring overall immigration numbers down, showing Starmer will always say one thing but then do something else. (Hansard, 30 June 2020, Div.65, link; BBC One, The Andrew Marr Show, 9 October 2016, archived.) 

·                  Labour's refusal to bring down migration levels would see unlimited and uncontrolled immigration. Labour believe net migration targets are the ‘wrong approach' and refuse to say whether a future Labour government would bring net migration down. (Times Radio, 15 June 2022, archived; Laura Kuenssberg, 30 October 2022, archived)