Sajid Javid 'plans to slash EU immigration by 80%' after Brexit
2 min read
Sajid Javid will outline plans to slash immigration from the European Union by up to 80% once Britain leaves the bloc, it has been reported.
The Home Secretary hopes to cut immigration from the continent to as little as 10,000 a year through stricter conditions for entry once free movement ends, according to the Sunday Times.
The paper says Mr Javid wants to start a “new conversation” on immigration, months after the Government came under fire for the impact of its “hostile environment” approach.
It says the Government’s long-awaited immigration white paper, which is expected before the end of the year, will outline plans to allow in between 10,000 and 25,000 long-term migrants from the EU each year by 2025.
Recent figures show net migration from the EU has been falling since the vote for Brexit but still stood at 74,000 in the year to June.
Under the plans to be outlined by Mr Javid, the numbers of highly-skilled EU migrants coming to Britain is expected to drop from 15,000 last year to about 11,000 a year.
Meanwhile, the number of medium-skilled workers entering the country will plummet from 18,500 to around 4,500, while most of those with low skills are expected not to come at all on a long-term basis.
The changes will also include no cap on highly-skilled migrants moving to the UK from anywhere in the world, the Sunday Times says.
Those deemed medium-skilled will need to earn at least £30,000 a year – unless they are moving for a role in particularly high demand with a lower salary.
Low-skilled workers will be granted short-term visas for up to a year, provided they are from a country associated with a “low risk of immigration abuse”.
Elsewhere, students will be granted six months of study leave and will be free to apply for a skilled worker visa in the three months before the end of their studies.
A source told the paper: “We are going to take full control over who can come to the UK, prioritising those with the skills the UK needs rather than on the basis of which country they come from.”
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