Mass migration is changing the nature of Britain forever – we must act now
The migration figures published on Thursday are extraordinary. In the 12 months to June, an astonishing 1.2 million people moved to the UK, the vast majority arriving from outside of the EU. Net migration stands at 672,000, three times higher than its pre-Brexit peak. Given the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto commitment to reduce net migration, these numbers are a body blow to any claim that we are keeping our promise to voters.
The Home Secretary has given assurances that the Government is working “to prevent exploitation and manipulation of our visa system”. But this misses the point. There is no need for anyone to exploit or manipulate the system to obtain a visa when the Home Office is handing them out like sweets. People who come to this country with visas are not abusing the system; they have played by the rules.
The problem is that our rules set such a low bar for entry.
Take work visas, for instance, which accounted for 322,000 of those issued last year. When the public voted for a points-based immigration regime, they had in mind the rigorous Australian system that requires potential migrants to prove high levels of skill and substantial financial means. Instead, the UK salary demand for a work visa is just £26,000, which, at significantly below the median wage, cannot possibly be described as “highly skilled”. At this salary, it is very likely that workers and their dependants will be net beneficiaries of our public services, services to which they have not contributed through tax.
Student visas are equally easy to obtain. Around 400,000 were granted last year, including nearly 100,000 for dependants. With numbers like these, we can’t pretend that offers are being restricted to elite university courses. And in allowing two years for foreign students to find work after graduation, we have created a strong incentive to settle in Britain.
Even the “shortage worker” scheme is failing. As of July, despite 100,000 care worker visas having been issued, vacancies in the sector had reduced by just 10,000.
Compelling arguments
The economic arguments against mass immigration are compelling. Increasing the number of people in the labour market has boosted overall GDP, but it has failed to increase GDP per capita, a good proxy for the standard of living. Allowing employers to recruit low-paid staff from abroad disincentivises investment in capital and skills and stifles productivity. Efforts to solve the housing crisis or reduce NHS waiting times are futile against a backdrop of yearly population growth of over half a million.
Cultural arguments against high levels of immigration are harder to make but equally legitimate. If we have learned anything from recent political turmoil in Western democracies it is that national identity matters. While the vast majority of Britons have respect for other cultures and agree that many immigrants contribute enormously to this country, it is also true that immigration on such a large scale challenges social cohesion. Over the last few weeks we have witnessed the results of a clash of cultures on the streets of London, and few would claim our nation is more secure as a result.
But the strongest argument against almost unlimited immigration is a democratic one. At every election since 1992, the Conservative Party has promised to reduce migration. Brexit and the 2019 election confirmed this popular mandate and polling consistently shows the majority of Britons think migration is too high. Ignoring the voice of the people for more than 30 years puts a strain on our democracy. Failing to deliver on this issue is more serious than failing to cut taxes or taking too long to build hospitals - mass migration is changing the nature of Britain forever.
For there to be any hope of restoring trust, the Government must act now. We must increase the salary threshold for work visas, stop people bringing family members they can’t support and consider an Australian-style overall cap.
And we must tear up the Treasury orthodoxy that clings on to immigration to generate superficial GDP growth, papering over structural weaknesses in our economy.
Britain is not a spreadsheet. We must listen to the people.
This article was first published in The Telegraph | November 2023
