A major front in the anticipated general election of next year is the British government’s beleaguered Conservative Party, which on Monday proposed a slew of policies intended to clamp down on the country’s record levels of immigration.
The United Kingdom declared that it would increase the minimum wage requirement for a skilled worker visa and forbid foreign health and social care professionals from bringing their dependents into the country.
The proposals were heralded as “the biggest clampdown on legal migration ever” by the office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
However, detractors claimed it would harm the National Health Service (NHS), which is operated by the state and is experiencing a staffing deficit.
The main opposition Labour party is now predicted to win the nationwide elections, which must take place by January 2025 at the latest and immigration is expected to be a major topic.
Since data last month revealed that net migration to Britain reached a peak in 2022, Sunak has faced pressure to curtail fresh arrivals.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 745,000 more immigrants to Britain last year than there were departures.
James Cleverly, the interior minister, predicted that his proposal will cause 300,000 fewer immigration to the UK in the upcoming years.
The home secretary declared to the legislature, “Enough is enough,” when outlining his plans, which will go into force at the beginning of next year.
According to Cleverly, skilled foreign workers seeking a UK visa would now need to make £38,700 ($48,860) a year, which is equivalent to the median full-time pay, as opposed to £26,200.
Health and social care professionals were excluded, but he claimed they would not be allowed to bring dependents.
A organisation that advocates for hospital groups in England, NHS Providers, described as “deeply concerning” any changes that could discourage care professionals from entering the UK.
Immigration has been “saving the social care sector,” according to Care England, a body that represents independent adult social care providers. Brexit has made the staff shortage worse.
In a clever move, they also confirmed the ban on overseas students bringing relatives and increased the minimum income requirement for family visas to £38,700.
He reiterated that Britain would raise the 66 percent premium, to £1,035, that immigrants must pay in order to use the NHS.
Opponents claim that because migrant workers also pay National Insurance premiums, which support healthcare, they are essentially subject to a double tax.
Cleverly continued, saying, “Do or die.” The government would change the “shortage occupation list,” which lists jobs for which firms are having trouble filling positions with enough British workers.
Under Boris Johnson’s leadership, the Conservatives won a landslide in the most recent election in 2019, primarily thanks to their pledge to reduce net migration.
The party has made it clear time and time again that the UK will be able to “take back control” of its borders if it leaves the European Union, which put an end to free movement of people between member states.
But when Britain formally exited the EU in January 2020, routine migration has increased dramatically. Net migration was 488,000 in 2021.
With some right-wingers saying that it was “do or die” for the party, the ONS statistics increased pressure on Sunak to act from his own MPs.
Opinion surveys show that the Tories, who have been in power since 2010, are far behind Labour, a center-left party that likewise believes that regular migration is too high.
Yvette Cooper, the home affairs spokesperson for Labour, charged that the Conservatives were experiencing a “chaotic panic” around immigration.
She informed the legislature, “Today’s statement is an admission of years of total failure by this Conservative government.”
Additionally, Sunak is having difficulty reducing the quantity of erroneous arrivals that use tiny boats to cross the Channel from northern France.
This year, over 30,000 people have made the perilous journey.
Although the government considers these crossings to be unlawful, last month’s court ruling overturned its widely-trumped intention to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
In order to conclude a new treaty, Cleverly is scheduled to visit Kigali shortly, possibly this week. Additionally, the administration has stated that it is drafting “emergency legislation” in order to begin deportation operations by the spring.
AFP
