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As Britain prepares for its upcoming election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made a significant promise: to cut immigration levels if his Conservative Party wins. This pledge is designed to set his party apart from the Labour Party, which currently has a strong lead in the polls.
Immigration has always been a crucial topic in British politics. Many voters worry that large numbers of immigrants put pressure on public services like housing, education, and the National Health Service (NHS), and that it can challenge social harmony. The 2016 Brexit vote heavily focused on ending free movement from the EU, with promises to regain control over Britain’s borders.
In 2010, former Prime Minister David Cameron aimed to reduce net migration to below 100,000 per year, a goal that wasn’t achieved. Recent data shows that immigration remains high, with net immigration at 685,000 in 2023, down from a record 764,000 in 2022, partly due to fewer arrivals from Hong Kong and Ukraine.
Prime Minister Sunak has implemented several measures to reduce immigration, such as:
– Stopping international students from bringing family members.
– Increasing the salary requirement for skilled worker visas to £38,700.
– Restricting care workers from bringing dependents.
These steps have had a notable impact. For example, there was a 79% drop in student dependent applications and a 58% reduction in health and care sector dependent applications in early 2024 compared to the same period the previous year.
The effects of immigration are widely debated. While it increases demand on public services, immigrants also boost the economy by paying taxes and filling important jobs. Critics argue that high immigration can lower wages and make integration difficult, citing reports of a net cost of over £4 billion in the 2016/17 financial year.
On the other hand, the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford found that the fiscal impact of immigration is generally small and varies depending on migrants’ circumstances. Some studies show that foreign workers have little to no impact on overall wage levels or employment rates, and many businesses struggle with labor shortages.
The Labour Party also aims to reduce net migration by focusing on developing local skills and addressing rogue employers. Both parties are also tackling illegal immigration, especially the issue of asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats. Sunak’s plan to send these asylum seekers to Rwanda has faced obstacles, while Labour intends to cancel the policy.
In 2023 alone, over 10,000 people made the dangerous Channel crossing. The cost of processing asylum applications and housing migrants is significant, costing Britain over £3 billion annually.
Immigration remains a central issue in British politics, influencing the strategies and promises of major parties as the election approaches. Prime Minister Sunak’s pledge to cut immigration highlights the ongoing debate about its economic and social impacts, ensuring that immigration will be a major concern for voters as they head to the polls.
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