Conservatives want to restrict the number of visas for immigrants

The prime minister has said that a new Conservative administration will cut the amount of visas available to immigrants annually.

MPs would be able to vote for the first time on yearly government plans, based on the highly qualified Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) recommendations, which sought to routinely reduce numbers.

Rishi Sunak stated that his party was the only one prepared to take "bold action to reduce immigration" if elected on July 4th, even though no specific numbers for a potential cap have been proposed.

More pressure has been placed on Sunak as a result of the revelation that Nigel Farage is returning to lead the Reform Party, which is focused on lowering immigration.

Controlling the UK's borders and lowering immigration rates are considered as crucial battlegrounds between Labour and the Tories this year, and several Conservatives have expressed dissatisfaction with the volume of immigration.

The prime minister is attempting to create a division ahead of Tuesday's scheduled head-to-head discussion between Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, with this new policy serving as a key component of his platform.

According to Sunak, giving MPs the final say would reassure people that their opinions would be taken into consideration and respected.

The prime minister said that Labour had "no plan to reduce net migration" and that they would "make the UK a global magnet for illegal immigrants".

Seasonal Agricultural Workers and other temporary labour channels would be free from the cap, which would only apply to worker and family visas.

Furthermore, although they were lower than in 2022, immigration levels last year were around three times higher than in 2019, the year the Tories won the last election on a platform of reducing immigration.

According to official figures, more than 300,000 work visas were granted in the year ending in March 2024—more than twice as many as were awarded in 2019.

This year has brought with it a new prohibition on foreign students and social workers bringing dependent family members, as well as an increase in the minimum wage required for skilled worker visas.

Care providers have warned that the industry is having difficulty filling tens of thousands of positions, despite the fact that the tougher requirements resulted in a sharp drop in the number of health and social care visa applications in May, according to information from the Interior Ministry.

(Sources: bbc.co.uk)