Migration policy fails
Great Britain records immigration record
05/25/2023, 11:45 am
Shielding Great Britain more against migrants has been the goal of the governing Tories for years. According to a current estimate of the number of immigrants, that doesn’t work at all. Despite Brexit, the country has set a record for immigration.
The influx of people to the UK has been at an all-time high in the past year. This works out based on the latest estimates by the British statistics agency ONS. According to this, around 600,000 more people immigrated to Great Britain in 2022 than left the country. That’s 100,000 more than the year before. However, the estimated net immigration was lower than expected. There was speculation in the media that it could be up to 700,000.
Nevertheless, the latest migration figures are a major setback for the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. For years, the ruling Conservatives have made restricting immigration one of their top priorities. The desire for more control over one’s own borders was considered one of the most important reasons for leaving the EU.
According to the ONS, the background to the increased numbers is, among other things, a greater influx of people from non-EU countries. Among others from Ukraine and Hong Kong. According to estimates by statisticians, a total of around 1.2 million people came to the country. Just a few days ago, the government in London announced that it would stop issuing visas for relatives of Master’s students in Great Britain from next year. According to government figures, 136,000 visas for partners or children of students were issued in 2022 alone, more than eight times as many as in 2019. This should now be over.
London also wants to take tougher action against irregular entry via the English Channel. Last year about 45,000 people crossed the straits into the UK in small boats. With a tightening of asylum legislation, they are to be denied access to protection in Great Britain in the future.