The number of visas available to migrants would be reduced each year under a new Conservative government, the prime minister has promised. For the first time, MPs would get a vote on annual government proposals aimed at regularly reducing numbers, which would be based on recommendations from the expert Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Although no figures were suggested for a possible cap, Rishi Sunak said he was the only party willing to take "bold action to reduce immigration" if elected on 4 July. Labour's Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, pointed to net migration trebling and accused the Tories of "rehashing failed announcements".
The announcement came as Nigel Farage announced he was returning to lead the Reform Party, with its focus on reducing immigration, which has heaped further pressure on Mr Sunak. Some Conservatives have been unhappy at immigration levels, with control over the UK's borders and reducing immigration figures seen as a key battleground between Labor and the Tories this election. With a head-to-head debate due on Tuesday where Mr Sunak will face off with Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer, the PM is trying to draw a dividing line, with this new policy forming a central plank of his manifesto. Mr Sunak said putting the decision in the hands of MPs would give voters confidence their views would be respected and reflected."The plan is working but migration levels are still too high, so we are going further," he said.
The PM claimed Labor would "make the UK a global magnet for illegal immigrants", suggesting they had "no plan to reduce net migration". "The Conservatives are the only party that is willing to take the bold action needed to cut immigration figures," he continued. The cap would apply to worker and family visas and would exempt temporary work routes, such as Seasonal Agricultural Workers. The MAC's remit would prioritize the economy, with explicit orders to look at the economic costs of migration, including the impact on public services, wages and productivity. However, this would be the fourth attempt at such a cap, with successive Tory governments attempting to limit visas under Theresa May, David Cameron and Rishi Sunak in last year's Illegal Migration Act. Last year, Mr Sunak came under fire from two of his own Cabinet ministers, who called for tougher measures to curb legal migration, including calls for an annual cap on net migration, which had reached a record high.
Former home secretary Suella Braverman said the immigration figures were a "slap in the face" and that her calls for an annual cap on net migration and a cap on health and social work visas had been ignored. Robert Jenrick quit as immigration minister, saying the PM's plans did not go far enough, having previously set out a series of measures including caps on visas. Mr. Sunak has admitted that his flagship scheme to send failed asylum seekers to Rwanda will not be implemented before the election. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This is a meaningless announcement from a Tory party which has trebled net migration since the last election despite promising to bring it down. "All they are doing now is rehashing failed announcements from David Cameron and Theresa May, while doing nothing to tackle the skills shortages and their failures in the economy and immigration system which have pushed net migration up."