Migrant numbers drop after family visa crackdown as fewer health and care workers and students move to UK
9 August 2024, 13:32
The number of people moving to the UK has come down after a crackdown on visas for the families of health and care workers, and students.
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Figures show that the number of skilled workers, healthcare workers or students applying to come to the UK fell by a third to 91,300 in July.
Within this, health and care visa applications fell 82% in the same period, and applications to study in the UK dropped 15%.
The government has said that it wants to bring down immigration, which soared to historically high levels under the Conservatives, despite repeated pledges to reduce the number of arrivals.
The Conservative government banned people coming to the UK to study and for health and social care jobs from bringing their family with them.
The current Labour administration has said that it has no plans to change the policy.
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Net migration reached 764,000 in 2022, dropping to 684,000 in 2023.
But the drop in net inflows could have knock-on negative effects, such as increased cost pressure on universities and NHS and care worker shortages.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We have set out a clear plan to bring down historically high levels of legal migration by tackling the root causes behind high international recruitment.
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"By linking immigration, [the] labour market and skills systems we will ensure we train up our homegrown workforce and address the shortage of skills. Immigration brings many benefits to the UK, but it must be controlled and delivered through a fair system."
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in July that the government would seek to boost the UK workforce's skills before recruiting abroad, in what she called "a new approach".
Ms Cooper said rising levels of legal migration in recent years reflected a "failure over many years to tackle skills shortages and other problems in the UK labour market".
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James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, said: "We know net migration is too high, which is why when I became home secretary I introduced a record migration cut within weeks of being appointed.
"Today’s data continues to show my stricter approach is working, with student and healthcare dependants banned and skilled workers and family visas requiring much higher earnings.
"Visa applications are down by more than a third where we took action, but Labour want to put this all at risk. They have already binned our Conservative plans to raise the earnings threshold for family dependants, while their ministers openly advocate for lowering EU visa restrictions.
"They never cared about controlling our borders and they will leave the British people to pick up the bill."
