The United Kingdom government has implemented measures that it claims will result in the most substantial reduction in net migration ever recorded, following a record surge in levels.
Home Secretary James Cleverly declared the five-point plan to control immigration "excessively onerous."
The modifications encompassed an increase in the minimum wage mandated for proficient foreign labourers from £26,200 to £38,700.
As of now, 300,000 individuals who were eligible to enter the United Kingdom last year will be unable to do so, according to Mr. Cleverly. Additionally, the income threshold for family visas has increased to £38,700.
The home secretary told members of parliament in a statement that migration to the United Kingdom "needs to decrease" and that health and care visas have been "abused" for years.
"Enough is enough," declared Mr. Cleverly. "The policy regarding immigration must be sustainable, legal, and equitable."
The migration strategy is in response to last month's official data indicating that net migration in 2022 reached an all-time high of 745,000.
Subsequently, Conservative Members of Parliament have amassed pressure on the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to reduce net migration, denoting the difference between individuals entering and exiting the United Kingdom.
The significant surge in numbers poses a formidable political obstacle for Mr. Sunak and the Conservative Party, which has pledged on numerous occasions since securing office in 2010 to curtail net migration and "reclaim control" of the United Kingdom's boundaries in the wake of the Brexit vote.
Without specifying a target, the party's 2019 election manifesto pledged to reduce the number, whereas former prime minister David Cameron once pledged to reduce net migration below 100,000. Immigration is assuming a pivotal role in the discourse leading up to the anticipated general election of 2024.
As opinion polls place Labour in the lead, Mr. Sunak has sworn to "do whatever is necessary" to reduce net migration.
The changes, according to the home minister, will go into effect in the spring of the following year. The estimate of 300,000 is derived from internal calculations conducted by the Home Office.
The Home Office estimates that the prohibition on dependents brought by the majority of international students, which was previously announced, will contribute to nearly half of the total reduction.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary for Labour, described the announcement made on Monday as "an admission of years of Tory failure regarding the economy and immigration system."
She asserted that although net migration "should decrease," the Conservatives "failed to introduce more substantial reforms that link immigration to equitable pay and training requirements in the UK, which means that many sectors will continue to experience an escalation in work visas due to skills shortages."
Some Conservative Members of Parliament applauded the proposals, with former cabinet minister Simon Clarke describing the alterations as "substantial" and "reliable" measures. However, Suella Braverman, who served as home secretary before Mr. Cleverly, was less than impressed.
She stated that it was "too late" and that the government could do more to reduce the duration of the graduate programme and salary requirements.
Following her dismissal as home secretary by Mr. Sunak a month ago, she has vehemently criticised the government's immigration record.
