Plan to reduce migration reveals stricter visa regulations: Home Secretary

Home Secretary James Cleverly declared that immigration levels were “far too high” and unveiled a five-point plan to reduce it.

After levels of immigration skyrocketed to a record high, the UK government unveiled measures that it claimed would result in the largest ever reduction in net migration.

Among the modifications was an increase in the minimum wage requirement from £26,200 to £38,700 for skilled foreign workers.

300,000 people who were eligible to enter the UK last year, according to Mr. Cleverly, would not be able to do so in the future.

A family visa now requires a minimum income of £38,700.

The home secretary said there has been “abuse” of health and care visas for years and that immigration to the UK “needs to come down” in a statement to lawmakers.

“Enough is enough,” declared Mr. Cleverly. “Immigration policy must be fair, legal, and sustainable.”

The migration plan was announced in response to official data released last month that revealed net migration reached a record 745,000 in 2022.

Since then, conservative members of parliament have increased their pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his administration to reduce net migration—the difference between the number of people entering and departing the UK.

The sudden rise poses a formidable political obstacle for Mr. Sunak and the Conservatives, who have pledged time and time again to lower net migration since taking office in 2010 and to “take back control” of the UK’s borders following the Brexit referendum.

While David Cameron once promised to bring net migration below 100,000 while serving as prime minister, the party’s 2019 election manifesto committed to bringing the number down without establishing a specific target.

Prior to the upcoming general election, which is anticipated to take place in 2024, immigration is expected to be a major topic.

Mr. Sunak has pledged to “do what is necessary” to reduce net migration, with Labour leading polls.

The prime minister stated in an article in the Sun newspaper: “You are not coming to the UK if you cannot contribute to the UK.

“Our plan will deliver the biggest-ever cut in net migration and curb abuse.”

The government stated that in addition to the new wage requirements, it would:

• Outlaw the entry of family members of healthcare and social workers into the UK
•  Paying employees 20% less than market value for positions on a shortage occupation list is an option available to end companies.
•  Raising the yearly fee that foreign employees must pay to access the NHS from £624 to £1,035
•  Increase the threshold for family visas from £18,600 to £38,700 starting in the spring of next year.
•  Seek to “prevent abuse” by having the government’s migration adviser examine the graduate visa application process.

The Home Secretary informed Members that the adjustments would go into effect in the upcoming spring.

“In total, this package, plus our reduction in students dependants, will mean around 300,000 fewer people will come in future years than have come to the UK last year,” Mr Cleverly stated to lawmakers.

300,000 is an approximation derived from internal Home Office computations.

The Home Office estimates that nearly half of the total decrease will come from the previously announced prohibition on the majority of international students bringing dependents on their travels.

The announcement on Monday was described as “an admission of years of Tory failure on both the immigration system and the economy” by Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary for Labour.

She stated that while net migration “should come down” , the party was “failing to introduce more substantial reforms that link immigration to training and fair pay requirements in the UK, meaning many sectors will continue to see rising numbers of work visas because of skills shortages” .

According to Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison, the “cruel plans spell total disaster for the NHS and social care.”

Because of the severe staffing shortages in both sectors, migrant workers were encouraged to come here. Without them, hospitals and care facilities just could not run,” the speaker stated.

Some Conservative MPs applauded the plans; former cabinet minister Simon Clarke described the adjustments as “serious” and “credible” steps.

Suella Braverman, Mr. Cleverly’s former home secretary, was not as fond of him.

She claimed that the package’s salary requirements and “shortening the graduate route” were “too late and the government can go further”.

While serving as home secretary, Mrs. Braverman asserted that she had made six similar proposals, “but the delay has reduced their impact.”

Since Mr. Sunak dismissed her from her position as home secretary last month, she has attacked the government’s record on immigration.

Concerns about staffing

The health sector, which has become increasingly dependent on hiring foreign labor, presents a challenge for ministers seeking to reduce migration.

According to the government, 101,000 visas for caregivers were granted in the year that ended in September 2023.

According to the government, the family dependents of those caregivers received an estimated 120,000 visas.

There is a labor shortage in the care industry, and providers have opposed restrictions on their ability to hire foreign labor.

The primary cause of the staffing crisis, according to the government’s migration advisers, is “persistent underfunding” of local councils, which provides funding for the majority of adult social care.

Mr. Cleverly conceded that the inability to bring families under the new regulations may discourage some caregivers from traveling to the UK.

However, he expressed his belief that care providers would still be open to working in the United Kingdom.

The decision to raise the family income threshold to £38,700 was dubbed “the biggest surprise of the day” by Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory.

Under certain circumstances, people may not be able to bring their relatives to the UK due to changes made by the government to the minimum income requirement for family visas.

“Family migration makes up a small share of the total, but those who are affected by it can be affected very significantly,” said Dr. Sumption.

“The largest impacts will fall on lower-income British citizens, and particularly women and younger people who tend to earn lower wages.”

Home Secretary James Cleverly’s five-point net migration plan

1. Care workers banned from bringing dependants

2. Minimum skilled worker salary up to £38,700 (apart from health and social care)

3. End 20% discount on minimum salaries for foreign workers. Occupation shortage list to be reviewed

4. Minimum income requirement for bringing in dependants going up to £38,000

5. Review of the graduate visa route to consider whether people should be allowed to stay

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For more about UK Immigration:https://gov.uk

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