Sunak Targets High Migration Rates, Downing Street Refuses to Commit to a Specific Figure
In a breaking statement that has set the political arena ablaze, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared that the current immigration into Britain is “excessively high”.
He indicated a dramatic reduction, aiming below the level he “inherited” upon taking office. Amid mounting pressure to pin a specific target, both Sunak and Downing Street dismissed the idea of setting the bar at a half million, thereby defying predictions.
Astoundingly, net migration to Britain nearly doubled in the year to June 2022, reaching over 500,000. With more recent data due to surface in the upcoming weeks, projections suggest a possible further surge.
Sunak’s provocative declaration has amplified concerns as it seemingly reneges on a Tory manifesto commitment to rein in net migration to 2019 levels, approximately 226,000.
“I won’t put a precise figure on it, but the numbers are too high, and we intend to bring them down,” Sunak vehemently announced to BBC News. Reinforcing his intentions to slash net migration, Sunak reiterated his stance at Hiroshima’s Seifukan tea house ahead of the G7 summit.
Despite the Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s staunch advocacy for lower immigration, Sunak underscored the necessity for more labour in specific industries like fruit picking.
This breaking update transpires amidst the ongoing debate over the unfulfilled 2019 Conservative manifesto promise of a reduction in overall immigration numbers following Brexit.
The immigration issue has consequently regained momentum on the political agenda, particularly in light of the increased influx of small boats arriving on England’s southern coast.
In a strategic move, Sunak raised the migration issue at a recent Council of Europe meeting in Iceland, claiming a “big step forward” with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen concerning UK’s collaboration with the bloc’s border force, Frontex.
