World05.12.2023 - 10:15

Britain is set to significantly reduce the influx of legal immigrants

It is expected that about 300,000 people a year may not get work visas.

Фото: Alex McNaughton / RIA Novosti

British Home Secretary James Cleverly said during a speech in the House of Commons of the country's Parliament that he intends to tighten the rules for obtaining work visas and work permits to reduce the flow of arrivals to the kingdom.

He specified that in his plans to reduce the number of immigrants by 300 thousand people a year.

"My plan will provide the largest ever reduction in the indicator of net migration - about 300 thousand people who entered the United Kingdom last year would not have been able to do so, had it been adopted earlier," - said the Minister.

Note that net migration is the difference between those who arrived and those who left the country.

Measures, according to Cleverly, will be tough to stop the flow of people who want to take advantage of British hospitality. The rules will start to take effect early next year.

Thus, there will be a ban on obtaining a visa for a dependent (spouse and children) for a number of categories of workers in Britain or receiving education.

First of all, the restrictions will affect low-skilled labor from abroad. The government will increase by 50% the minimum wage that employers must pay to an immigrant applying for a work visa. There will also be an increase in the medical fee that recipients of work and student visas must pay.

According to Britain's National Statistics Service, the United Kingdom has issued 335,500 work visas this year between January and September, a 150% increase on the number of work visas issued before the covid pandemic.

James Cleverly as head of the British Foreign Office said that the country's authorities want to strengthen security cooperation with African countries.

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