UK plans new caps on work and family visas

June 05, 2024
Collected
  • UK to cap work and family visas

The Conservative party, which is in power in the UK, announced plans on Monday to impose new yearly limitations on family and work visas in an effort to reduce immigration. Rising net migration levels, a major topic in the impending July election, are the reason behind this idea.

In an attempt to overcome Labour's Keir Starmer, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggested that parliament decide how many visas are granted annually. The purpose of the action is to allay public fears regarding immigration, which increased by 685,000 net last year. Even though this amount is marginally less than in 2018, it is still far higher than in 2019, when the Conservatives pledged to cut immigration.

Over the weekend, Labour leader Keir Starmer introduced his party's immigration plan, which focuses on reducing regular migration. Starmer's strategy includes measures to penalize employers who breach labor laws and to prioritize the training of British workers over the hiring of foreign labor.
The Prime Minister's announcement is designed to highlight the Conservatives' commitment to tougher immigration controls ahead of a pivotal debate on Tuesday, where Sunak and Starmer will address key election issues.
"We have taken bold action to cut the number of people coming to this country. The plan is working but migration levels are still too high, so we are going further," Sunak stated. He emphasized, "The Conservatives are the only party that is willing to take the bold action needed to cut immigration figures."