DEMANDS to get tougher on borders intensified today despite net migration halving to 431,000.
Visa numbers last year were cut from a monster 860,000 in 2023 largely following measures implemented by the previous Tory government.
Net migration was cut to 431,000 last yearGetty
AFPSir Keir Starmer has announced a crackdown to net migration[/caption]
Sir Keir Starmer’s crackdown announced last week is expected to trim that down by a further 100,000 once enforced.
But the figure – equivalent to growing the population by two cities the size of Southampton – sparked calls for more radical action.
Tory shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp doubled down calls for an annual cap on net migration.
Welcoming the drop, he said: “The figures are still far too high and need to go down a lot further.
“That’s why we’ve proposed a binding annual immigration cap, set by Parliament at much lower levels.
He said the drop was thanks to the “tough action of the last Conservative government” and blasted Labour for “parading around pretending their inaction is success”.
Rishi Sunak banned care workers from bringing family members to Britain, and raised the salary requirement for skilled workers to £38,000.
Sir Keir last week added to that by announcing a total ban on issuing any more visas for overseas care workers.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted today’s drop was in part due to deporting more foreign offenders and failed asylum seekers.
She said that more than 30,000 have been returned since Labour won the election – a 12 per cent increase – although refused to disclose how many were small boat migrants.
She said: “The 300,000 drop in net migration since the election is important and welcome after the figures quadrupled to nearly a million in the last Parliament.
“Our Immigration White Paper sets out radical reforms to further reduce net migration.”
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