DEMANDS to get tougher on borders intensified today despite net migration halving to 431,000.
Visa numbers last year were cut from a monster 860,000 in 2023 largely following measures implemented by the previous Tory government.
Sir Keir Starmer’s crackdown announced last week is expected to trim that down by a further 100,000 once enforced.
But the figure - equivalent to growing the population by two cities the size of Southampton - sparked calls for more radical action.
Tory shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp doubled down calls for an annual cap on net migration.
Welcoming the drop, he said: “The figures are still far too high and need to go down a lot further.
“That’s why we’ve proposed a binding annual immigration cap, set by Parliament at much lower levels.
He said the drop was thanks to the “tough action of the last Conservative government” and blasted Labour for “parading around pretending their inaction is success”.
Rishi Sunak banned care workers from bringing family members to Britain, and raised the salary requirement for skilled workers to £38,000.
Sir Keir last week added to that by announcing a total ban on issuing any more visas for overseas care workers.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted today’s drop was in part due to deporting more foreign offenders and failed asylum seekers.
She said that more than 30,000 have been returned since Labour won the election - a 12 per cent increase - although refused to disclose how many were small boat migrants.
She said: “The 300,000 drop in net migration since the election is important and welcome after the figures quadrupled to nearly a million in the last Parliament.
“Our Immigration White Paper sets out radical reforms to further reduce net migration.”
The 431,00 net migration figure saw 948,000 foreigners enter the country and 517,000 leave.
Today's Office for National Statistics figures show work and study visas made up the vast majority of net migration.
By JAMES CLEVERLY MP, former Home Secretary
AS Home Secretary, I knew that reducing immigration required more than just rhetoric. It needed tough, practical action.
That’s why in December 2023, I introduced a series of changes to visa rules that were specifically designed to bring numbers down while protecting our economy and public services.
This wasn’t done in isolation. I negotiated with the Treasury, Health, Environment and Education departments to get these changes through. Crucially, I had the full backing of Rishi Sunak.
Inevitably, Labour criticised me at the time and still haven’t fully implemented the policies I put in place.
Nevertheless the results speak for themselves - net migration has halved. This proves that you can cut immigration if you’re willing to put your shoulder to the wheel and do the hard graft.
Other parties talk endlessly about cutting immigration. I got on and did it.
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