UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Implements Measures to Curb Migration
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Tough Stance on Immigration Sparks Controversy
Two weeks after King Charles approved legislation crucial to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, the latter shared a video outlining steps he has implemented to curb migration. The 15-second video, uploaded on social media platform X, shows Sunak stamping a sheet of paper with red ink that states in capital letters, “STOPPED.”
In the video, Sunak highlights the measures taken to reduce migration, including a significant decrease in student dependant applications. The sheets of paper shown in the video list specific categories of immigrants whose ability to bring family members to the UK has been restricted, such as foreign master’s students and overseas care workers.
Last year, the UK government announced a new immigration crackdown targeting overseas students, including Indians, limiting their visa rights to bring dependent family members with them while studying in the country. The rules, which came into effect on January 1, 2024, also impose stricter salary requirements for work visas and make it harder for immigrants to bring family members to the UK.
While the health and social care sectors, which heavily rely on immigrant staff, are exempt from the salary rule, overseas care workers are no longer able to bring dependent relatives to Britain. Additionally, a rule allowing employers in certain sectors to pay immigrant workers less than UK citizens has been scrapped.
Critics, including trade union representatives, have condemned the new measures, warning that they could have detrimental effects on the healthcare and care sectors. Christina McAnea, general secretary of the Unison trade union, described the changes as a “total disaster” and expressed concerns that migrant workers may choose to seek opportunities in more welcoming countries.
As the debate over immigration policies continues to unfold, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s firm stance on reducing migration is sparking controversy and raising questions about the long-term impact on the UK’s workforce and society.
