UK Announces Limits On Migration

Britain’s embattled Conservative government has issued a raft of measures Monday targeted at cracking down on record levels of migration; a major battleground in a general election expected next year.

The UK announced it would increase the minimum salary threshold for a skilled worker visa and prevent overseas health and social care staff from bringing family dependents to Britain.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office trumpeted the proposals as “the biggest clampdown on legal migration ever”.

However, critics said it would damage the state-run National Health Service (NHS), which faces staff shortages.

Immigration will be a key issue in nationwide elections that must take place by January 2025 at the latest, and which the main opposition Labour party is currently favoured to win.

Sunak has promised to reduce new arrivals and has been under pressure ever since statistics released last month showed that net migration to Britain hit a high in 2022.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of people who arrived in Britain last year was 745,000 more than the number who left.

Interior minister James Cleverly said his plan would result in 300,000 lesser people coming to the UK in the coming years.

“Enough is enough,” the home secretary told parliament as he laid out his proposals, which will be effective early next year.

Cleverly added that skilled foreign workers wanting a UK visa would have to earn £38,700 ($48,860), up from £26,200 and in line with the median full-time wage.

He exempted health and social care workers, but said they would be prevented from bringing family dependents.

NHS Providers, which represents hospital groups in England, said changes that might deter care workers from coming to the UK were “deeply concerning”.

Care England, a charity representing independent adult social care providers, said immigration had been “saving the social care sector”. Staff shortages have been exacerbated by Brexit.

Cleverly also increased the minimum income for family visas to £38,700 and confirmed restrictions on international students bringing dependents.

He reaffirmed that Britain would increase the surcharge that migrants pay to access the NHS by 66 percent, to £1,035.