Why is immigration a key issue in Britain’s July 4 general election?
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to reduce immigration levels if his Conservative Party wins the July 4 general election. The British government is also planning to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda. But why has immigration become such a big issue in the July 4 U.K. parliamentary election?
The British government plans to start sending refugees back to Rwanda from July 24 if the Conservative Party wins. The aim is to reduce the number of illegal immigrants and curb dangerous Channel crossings.
Despite facing legal challenges, Sunak is determined to implement the controversial policy if re-elected.
This commitment to reducing immigration has intensified the campaign’s focus on the issue, and recent televised debates ahead of the general election have seen Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer clash on a range of topics including tax and immigration.
Starmer criticised Sunak, describing him as the “worst”. “The most liberal Prime Minister ever on the issue of immigration”The move underlines the contentious nature of the immigration debate ahead of the election.
The debate on immigration is informed by historical context, including former Conservative prime minister David Cameron’s 2010, unmet, target of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands per year.
Despite promises to end free movement to and from Europe during the Brexit campaign in 2016, net migration increased to 329,000 in 2015.
However, recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests net migration to the UK will fall by 10% in 2023, down to 685,000 from a peak of 764,000 in 2022.
Immigration has become a major election issue, as voters are concerned about the impact of the arrival of immigrants on housing, education and healthcare in the UK.
Sunak’s new immigration rules
In January 2024, Sunak introduces new rules aimed at reducing immigration numbers to 300,000,
These measures include preventing international students from sponsoring family members, raising the salary threshold for skilled worker visas by 48% to £38,700 ($49,000), and restricting the ability of care workers to bring dependents into the country.
These measures had resulted in a 79% drop in student-dependent applications during the first four months of 2024, the government reported last month.
Additionally, student visa applications fell by 30,000 compared to the same period last year, and applications for dependents of health and care workers fell by 58%.
Indian migration trends in the UK
In 2023, Indians emerge as leading nationality migrating to UK253,000 persons have migrated mainly for employment and education.
This inflow contrasts with a 10% reduction in overall net immigration compared to 2022.
Of the total Indian migrants, 127,000 came for employment opportunities, 115,000 for education and 9,000 for various other reasons.
Nigerians are the second largest immigrant population in the UK, numbering 141,000.
Chinese immigrants are the third most likely to be migrants, after Nigerians, while Pakistanis are fourth, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Rwandan deportation policy
Sunak’s policy to send refugees to Rwanda is facing legal and parliamentary hurdles, Reuters reports.
Despite the policy being declared unlawful by Britain’s Supreme Court in November, Sunak signed a new treaty with Rwanda and passed legislation to circumvent the ruling.
The first deportation flight is scheduled for July 24, pending the election results.
The opposition Labour Party, which leads by about 20 points in opinion polls, has vowed to cancel the Rwandan deportation plan if it comes to power.
Asylum Aid lawyer Charlotte Kilroy expressed surprise at the date of the flight during a challenge at the High Court in London.
The number of refugees crossing the Channel has reached record levels this year, with more than 10,000 arriving so far, although this is set to fall by a third in 2023.
Judge Martin Chamberlain said the future of the policy depended on the election outcome, and no predictions had been made.