The United Kingdom’s population has already risen to a new level of nearly 62 million people – 2.7 million in excess of the number in 2001. This is mainly due to the high inward migration numbers and a surge in births to women of child-bearing age from overseas (about 55%) and fewer deaths. By the year 2030, it is predicted that the UK’s population will rise to over 70 million, putting enormous pressures on housing, schooling and public services.
Efforts by the former Labour government to tighten immigration controls have failed to halt the tide, it is suggested. London has felt the onslaught most, with the overall resident figures rising to 7.754 million – up by 432,000 on the 2001 total population.
UK’s Evening Standard said that a report from the Office of National Statistics shows that an extra 394,000 people were added to the population in the year to June 2009. It went on to say that the population boost was due to immigration, with 562,000 arrivals and 386,000 departures, giving a net inward migration of 176,000 people for the year.
On the 28th of June, the Foreign Press was invited to the Home Office in London to hear the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition government’s commitment to impose immigration limits.
The number of workers entering the UK from outside Europe will be controlled by a new limit, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, announced.
Net migration will be scaled back to the levels of the 1990s – to tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands. Introducing a limit on migration from outside Europe to work is just one of the ways the government intends to achieve this.
Details of how the final limit will be delivered will be agreed following a 12-week consultation with businesses. In the meantime, an interim limit will be introduced to ensure that there is no rush of applications and the number of work visas issued stays below 2009 levels.
The results of the consultation on the permanent limit will pave the way for fundamental changes to the way in which workers from outside the EU will be chosen to come and work in the UK.
The Home Secretary has asked the Migration Advisory Committee, the government’s independent adviser on migration issues, to launch a separate consultation into what level the limit should be set at, taking into account social and economic impacts.
Theresa May said: “This Government believes that Britain can benefit from migration but not uncontrolled migration. I recognise the importance of attracting the brightest to ensure strong economic growth, but unlimited migration places unacceptable pressures on public services. While we consult on a tough new limit, it is important we have an interim measure to avoid a rush of applications and ensure that the number of work visas issued stays below 2009 levels.”
Teresa May continued by saying, “The Government will also introduce measures to support the British people. Alongside limits will be action to get Britain back to work and provide business with the skills they need from the resident workforce – reducing the need for migrants at the same time as we reduce their numbers.”
The government’s consultation will run until the middle of September. Permanent limits on non-EU migration routes will then be decided and put in place by April 1, 2011. To avoid large number of applications between now and April next year, the government will impose an interim limit which will take effect from July 19, 2010.
These interim measures include:
- capping the number of Tier One migrants at current levels and raising the number of points needed by non-EU workers who come to do highly skilled jobs from 95 to 100.
- Limiting the number of certificates of sponsorship that licensed employers can issue to those who wish to come to fill skilled job vacancies. This will reduce the number of people entering through Tier Two by 1,300.
The Home Secretary added, “The Government promised large scale changes to Britain’s immigration system – and that is what we are delivering. Alongside the limit on non-EU workers, we have already introduced a requirement that those coming here to marry, learn English, and our urgent review into child detention for immigration purposes is underway.”
During a very vivid question time that followed, the Home Secretary added that there will be no effect on people already here and applying for citizenship, but that other areas, such as student visas will also be scrutinised. She said that there will be a pause in issuing visas to students as there are many loopholes, such as bogus students, who come to the UK for other purposes, bogus institutions that lure genuine students and exploit them and several other loopholes. However, as the excellent UK education system is open for business, it is important to allow genuine students to enter the UK.
The Home Secretary continued, “We observe other countries’ such as the US and Australia’s immigration systems and policies. We will be releasing visas on a quarterly and not on an annual basis to avoid rush.” She further added that this does not affect asylum seekers under the Geneva Convention, but that those who are in the UK illegally, the Home Office is probing their cases and will continue to do so.
For more information about the point-based system, please visit the UK Border Agency website athttp://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/
The full consultation can be found on the UK Border Agency Website at
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultationlimits/limits-on-non-eu-migration/
The latest statistics relating to visas issued under Tiers One and Two of the Points Based System can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
