Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has expressed his belief that legal migration is a more significant issue than illegal migration, calling for a cap on net immigration and advocating for a more restrictive system. In an article for The Sunday Telegraph, Mr. Jenrick criticized the government’s approach to tackling illegal migration, stating that legal migration numbers far surpass illegal arrivals. He highlighted the need to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands and attract high-skilled, high-wage migrants who can contribute positively to the economy.
Mr. Jenrick emphasized the importance of creating a system that positions the UK as a leader in attracting skilled migrants and suggested that a cap on immigration should be decided through a democratic process involving all Members of Parliament. He resigned from his position as immigration minister in response to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation plan, which he believed was inadequate in deterring asylum seekers.
When asked about Mr. Jenrick’s call for a cap on net immigration, Home Office minister Chris Philp did not commit to a specific limit but mentioned measures already in place to reduce legal migration by increasing salary thresholds and limiting the number of dependents allowed to accompany migrants. He stressed the government’s commitment to controlling and reducing both legal and illegal migration, particularly focusing on attracting high-skilled migrants over low-skilled ones.
