The UK** has taken steps to pledge to slash net migration after it soared to an all-time high. Home Secretary James Cleverly has announced a five-point plan to curb immigration, which he says is "targeted".
These include raising the minimum wage required for skilled overseas workers from £26,200 to £38,700. Cleverly claimed that the 300,000 people who were eligible to come to the UK last year would not be able to enter the country in the future. The minimum income for a family visa has also risen to £38,700.
In a statement to MPs by the Home Secretary, he said the number of immigrants to the UK "needs to be reduced" and that health and care visas have been "abused" for years. "Enough, enough," Cleverly said. Immigration policies must be fair, legal, and sustainable. ”
Official data shows that net migration soared to a record 74 in 202250,000 people, a figure that later became the basis for the development of the immigration plan. Conservative MPs have since pressured Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his ** to reduce net immigration.
This sharp increase is a huge political challenge for Sunak and the Conservative Party, which since coming to power in 2010 has repeatedly pledged to reduce net migration and "take back" control of the British border after the Brexit referendum. The party's 2019 election manifesto promised to lower that number but set no specific targets, while David Cameron had promised to reduce net migration to below 100,000 during his tenure as prime minister.
The issue of immigration is becoming a key issue ahead of the next **, which is expected to take place in 2024. With Labour leading the polls, Sunak vowed to "take the necessary steps" to reduce net migration.