Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 12:32pm on 05 Dec 2023,Tuesday International
The UK government introduced a 5-point immigration plan promising the largest-ever reduction after net migration hit an unprecedented peak of 745,000 in 2022. Home Secretary James Cleverly hiked the minimum salary for skilled foreign workers from 26,200 pounds to 38,700 pounds. He claimed 300,000 fewer people would now qualify to come, also raising family visa income requirements to 38,700 pounds. Cleverly told Parliament, migration "needs to come down" after "years of abuse" of health and care visas, asserting "Enough is enough." The new plan also aims to ban health and care workers from bringing family dependants, end the practice of paying workers below market rates, and review the graduate visa route to prevent misuse. The Conservative government faces immense pressure to curb arrivals after repeatedly vowing to cut immigration since 2010 and "take back border control" post-Brexit. With the issue shaping up as a key factor for the 2024 elections and Labour leading in opinion polls, PM Rishi Sunak insists on doing "what is necessary" to slash migrant inflows to redeem pledges.
