It is the government's aim to reduce levels of net migration back to the levels of the 1990s – tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands – over the lifetime of this Parliament. The Coalition’s Programme for Government, published on 20 May 2010, confirmed the Government’s intention to introduce an annual limit on the number of non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK to live and work. I am announcing today our first steps to implement that commitment.
The government plans to implement the first full annual limits for the financial year beginning in April 2011. In advance of that, we wish to enable the fullest consultation with business and other sectors which have a significant interest in the implementation of limits on non-EU economic migration.
I am today launching a consultation on the mechanisms for implementing limits. This includes questions about the coverage of limits as well as the mechanics of how they will work in practice. This consultation also recognises the need to attract more high net worth migrants to the UK through the routes for Investors and Entrepreneurs and asks for views on how that can be achieved. A supporting consultation document can be found on the UK Border Agency website.
At the same time, I have today commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Government on the levels at which limits should be set for the first full year of their operation, in order to achieve the Government’s objective to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands over the Parliamentary term. In doing so, I have asked the Committee to consider the social and public service impacts of migration as well as the economic impacts. I have asked the Committee to provide this advice to me by the end of September. The Committee intends to consult fully with business and other interested groups in developing its advice.
It is important to ensure that today’s announcement does not lead to a surge in applications during this interim period. This would lead to an increase in net migration in 2010 and therefore larger reductions in future years as well as impacting on the UK Border Agency’s operations and undermining its ability to meet its service standards. I am therefore also today announcing a number of interim measures and I have laid a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules in support of these measures.
Firstly, I am introducing an interim limit on the number of out of country main applicants to Tier 1 (General). This route will be held flat from the equivalent periods for 2009 and the limit will therefore be 5,400. The Tier 1 routes for Investors, Entrepreneurs and the Post-Study route are not affected. In-country applicants are also excluded from the interim limit. To ensure that those who do come are the brightest and the best, I am also raising the Tier 1 (General) pass mark by 5 points for all new applicants.
Secondly, I am introducing an interim limit on the number of migrants who can be offered jobs by sponsor employers through Tier 2. Intra-Company Transfers, Ministers of Religion and Elite Sportspeople are excluded from this limit. The number of migrants who can be offered jobs in this period will be reduced by 1,300 - the equivalent of a 5% reduction across the Tier 1 and 2 routes to be covered by interim limits – and the interim limit for the relevant routes of Tier 2 will therefore be 18,700. The UK Border Agency will be contacting sponsors with full information about the implementation of the interim limit.
These interim measures will take effect from 19 July.
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is also undertaking a review, which commenced on 1 June, which will take forward the government’s commitment to end the detention of children for immigration purposes. It will run for six weeks and the UK Border Agency is currently engaging with a range of experts and organisations. The outcome of the review will be reported back to me.
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mrs Theresa May).
Date: Mon Jun 28 10:30:00 BST 2010
Source :
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk
wait till any one says anything specific about it
