The United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to decrease the number of visas allocated each year, if elected on July 4.
The cap would affect both work and family visas while temporary pathways like seasonal workers and international students would be exempt, VisaGuide.World reports.
Under this plan, MPs would have the opportunity to vote on annual government proposals to regularly decrease the migration numbers, following advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
PM Sunak, as cited by the BBC, said that entrusting the decision to MPs would reassure voters that their opinions would be respected and represented.
Prior to this announcement, the UK has introduced new laws to reduce net migration and put British workers first. Although the migration numbers saw a decrease recently, the government warned of additional measures if necessary.
The plan is working but migration levels are still too high, so we are going further.
Sunak’s Conservative Party to Face Labour Party in June 4 Elections
In the upcoming June 4 elections, Sunak’s Conservative Party will face the Labour Party led by Keir Starmer. As further cited by the BBC, Sunak said that the Labour Party would “make the UK a global magnet for illegal immigrants”, implying that they had no plan to reduce overall migration.
According to Sunank, his party was the only one ready to make big steps to reduce immigration.
The Conservatives are the only party that is willing to take the bold action needed to cut immigration figures.
UK Saw a 25% Decrease in Visa Applications Due to Govt’s Tighter Regulations
Visa applications in the UK have decreased by 25 percent during the first four months of 2024, as revealed recent statistics from the Home Office.
The drop in visa applications is attributed to the tougher rules the government introduced earlier this year to curb unsustainable migration.
During the first quarter of 2024, the UK recorded a decrease of 30,000 student applications, compared to the same period in 2023. Moreover, the number of student-dependent applications from January to April 2024 dropped by 79 percent compared to the same quarter in 2023.
In April 2024, the UK implemented new visa rules for foreign care workers, preventing them from bringing their families to the country. As a result, Health and Care dependent applications in April 2024 decreased by 58 percent compared to the same month in 2023.