The Migration Watch UK think tank has warned that Boris Johnson’s proposed “Australian-style points-based immigration system” may well lead to a sharp rise in immigration if it does not come with an annual cap on incomers.
“Major decisions on immigration are now imminent and the government are already coming under strong pressure from the many groups that have been profiting from the massive levels of immigration that Labour let loose and the Conservatives have, so far, failed three times to reduce,” the think tank observed in a press release seen by Breitbart London.
Migration Watch further argued that any benefits from escaping the European Union’s Free Movement migration regime could be wiped out by “the expansion of the youth mobility scheme to EU countries” and “a loosening of visa arrangements for non-EU workers such as: the abolition of the cap on work permits, abandoning the skills threshold for work permits (from graduate level to A-Level) and the reduction of the salary threshold from £30,000 – possibly to as low as £21,000, as well as the inclusion of greater access for workers as part of future trade agreements.”
The think tank provided a new study underlining its warnings, which indicates that the changes described above “would expose between six and nine million UK jobs to new or increased global competition.”
“The electorate, including those who don’t usually vote Conservative, will expect Boris Johnson to keep his word on reducing immigration,” said Migration Watch chairman Alp Mehmet — “but an Australian points-based system is not in itself the magic wand that will do it.”
Mehmet explained that any proposed “wand” will have to be “waved in a way suited to UK needs if immigration numbers are not to spin out of control again.”
“Should they fail to deliver yet again, the Conservatives’ credibility will be shot with the public and it won’t be just to their new supporters that they could be saying goodbye,” he warned.
Under previous Tory leaders David Cameron and Theresa May the party repeatedly promised to cut net immigration from “the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands” ahead of elections — and repeatedly allowed it to hit record and near-record levels regardless.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne revealed in 2017 that “[N]one of [the Cabinet’s] senior members support[ed] the pledge [to cut immigration] in private” and suggested that “all would be glad to see the back of [it]”.
Worryingly for migration sceptics hoping Boris Johnson will govern as a right-leaning national populist, the newly-empowered prime minister has already dropped the “tens of thousands” target, as Osborne recommended — and floated an amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens.
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