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Question
N/A
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Question
Why did the Home Secretary suspend the plan to increase family visa threshold to £38,000? When will it now be introduced?
Minister reply
No specific answer provided in transcript.
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Question
Will the Home Secretary vote for a cap on migration and repeal Human Rights Act 1998 from immigration matters?
Minister reply
No specific answer provided in transcript.
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Question
Will the policy apply to people who are already living and working in the UK or just new visa applicants?
Minister reply
Further details of earned settlement and citizenship reforms will be set out later this year. The five-year route for those on a dependant visa or family visa will be maintained.
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Question
What measures are in place to make it easier to recruit British workers and how does the plan address unintended consequences?
Minister reply
No specific answer provided in transcript.
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Question
Will the Home Secretary provide further clarity on when these changes will be brought forward, including a clear timetable for any changes to visa rules?
Minister reply
Some of these measures will require primary legislation and further consultation, while others will be brought in more swiftly—including, for example, some of the changes to the skilled worker thresholds.
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Question
Will the Home Secretary give the courts the powers to deport and the universities and colleges the resources to train our young people?
Minister reply
We want to make the procedures easier for the deportation of foreign criminals and for increasing returns of those who have no right to be in the UK. We will change the procedures that we inherited.
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Question
The Home Secretary’s proposals are only a third as effective as mine?
Minister reply
Nice try! The right hon. Member was in the Cabinet that massively increased net migration and pushed the numbers up.
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Question
How will she break the link between immigration and growth?
Minister reply
If the response to any labour or skills shortages is too often simply to turn to migration without addressing their causes, all that happens is that UK productivity falls.
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Question
What are the three critical measures she should take regarding illegal migration across the channel?
Minister reply
We must do more upstream to tackle some of the causes of dangerous journeys. We clearly need to act on the criminal smuggler gangs who are exploiting people and undermining our border security.
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Question
What engagement has the Home Secretary had with her counterpart at the Department for Education on the impact of her measures on the financial sustainability of universities?
Minister reply
The White Paper sets out that we will explore the international student levy. That work, which is being led by the Education Secretary, will consider how we can ensure that investment goes into supporting skills in the UK.
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Question
Will she consider indefinite leave to remain for those who worked through the pandemic?
Minister reply
We need to respect and recognise those contributions. There will be plenty of opportunity for everyone to contribute to the consultation on changes to the earned settlement and citizenship rules.
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Question
What engagement will my right hon. Friend have with the university to ensure that the proposals brought forward today do not have any adverse impact on our world-class universities?
Minister reply
International students make a huge contribution to our country and our economy, but it is really important that proper standards are met.
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Question
From where will the uplift in training be financed?
Minister reply
Already we are funding training for 60,000 more construction workers as part of our growth plans and workforce strategies.
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Question
Does the Home Secretary realise how shockingly divisive that could be?
Minister reply
The Prime Minister referred to an island of strangers, reflecting the language of Enoch Powell.
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Question
Does the Home Secretary agree that an asylum and immigration system must have democratic consent, and is it not a left or right issue but one of trust in democratic politics?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is correct; when people feel the system is uncontrolled or there’s a gap between rhetoric and reality, trust is undermined. Migration has historically been valued for contributions to work, study, and community building, but it must be controlled and managed.
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Question
Does the Home Secretary have a specific cap on net migration or a timeline for reducing it?
Minister reply
I am not sure if my right hon. Friend’s Front-Bench team can answer that question, but we are clear that net migration needs to reduce substantially. We will address this issue step by step, delivering progress and building confidence.
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Question
What message does the Home Secretary have for constituents who contribute significantly to Lancaster’s economy and cultural enrichment?
Minister reply
I emphasise that people come to the UK, build communities, and are part of our country. Ensuring they can speak English is vital for community integration and to prevent exploitation.
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Question
Does the Home Secretary accept that the Government’s policy on boat crossings is a failure?
Minister reply
No one should make dangerous boat crossings, which undermine border security. We need counter-terrorism powers to go after criminal gangs organising these crossings.
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Question
Does the Home Secretary agree it was sensible for the previous Government to place a cap on the number of Home Secretaries they had, given their failed open-border project?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right; there were eight Home Secretaries in eight years under the previous Government, with two being the same person.
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Question
Without a third country such as Rwanda, where will illegal immigrants be deported if their origin cannot be established?
Minister reply
Returns have increased since the election; we need to support other policies like working with the EU on returns hubs. The Conservatives spent £700 million and sent four volunteers under their scheme.
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Question
What happened to levels of removals, including foreign national offenders, during the previous Conservative Government's term?
Minister reply
Returns dropped by around a third under the previous government; we believe in enforcing rules more widely and faster. We inherited a system where only those with convictions were targeted.
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Question
What assessment has the Home Secretary made of the damage this policy could do to patients and NHS workers in communities where migrants regularly care for others?
Minister reply
We need to support social care recruitment, not simply rely on migration. The previous approach led to huge problems including abuse and exploitation; we aim to improve training and skills.
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Question
Why are arbitrary measures being introduced when they will harm migrants, people needing social care, the economy, and anyone fearing racial abuse?
Minister reply
We saw a huge increase in overseas recruitment while training fell; linking immigration with skills is important. We must respect contributions but also address exploitation.
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Question
Would the Home Secretary support Unison’s campaign for a certificate of common sponsorship to protect migrant workers from exploitation and deportation?
Minister reply
We want to explore how we can make it easier for people not to be held to a single employer when there are problems with sponsorship arrangements, making the system more effective against exploitation.
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Question
I welcome the Home Secretary’s statement but am not convinced yet due to lack of detail. The record number of illegal migrants crossing the Channel this year is a concern; without a deterrent, nothing will change.
Minister reply
Tonight Members can vote for a border security Bill that includes counter-terrorism powers to tackle criminal smuggler gangs. Our focus on border security and national security is essential, as highlighted by the Prime Minister's earlier statement.
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Question
The public has been waiting for 15 years for a Government to set out a serious strategy on legal migration. The Home Secretary’s measures regarding the health and social care visa are welcome, but how will these new measures be fully modern-slavery-proofed?
Minister reply
We must ensure fair pay agreements and maintain standards related to tackling trafficking and modern slavery to prevent exploitation in the social care sector.
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Question
The Home Secretary will be aware of the funding crisis affecting many UK universities. How do these changes impact the financial sustainability of our universities?
Minister reply
Where universities are already meeting high standards, they can extend care visas and recruit displaced care workers, thereby addressing recruitment challenges effectively.
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Question
Does the Secretary of State agree that training and upskilling domestic workers is key to addressing soaring work migration levels?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is correct; employers recruiting from abroad will contribute more towards training and skills in the UK, ensuring sectors with persistent shortages have proper workforce strategies.
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Question
A care provider in my constituency has been hit by national insurance contributions. How can we plug this gap quickly?
Minister reply
The provider will be able to extend the care visas, recruit displaced care workers, and benefit from a fair pay agreement, ensuring proper integration of social care standards.
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Question
Does the Secretary of State agree that migrants are our neighbours, friends, and family integral to our community, and does she think moves to cast them as strangers risk legitimising far-right violence?
Minister reply
People have come here through generations, contributing to our economy and making our country what it is. Supporting integration and the use of the English language are important provisions.
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Question
How does the immigration White Paper address pull factors currently advertised online, which may increase asylum applications?
Minister reply
We inherited a chaotic system and are now reducing backlogs and tackling visa misuse. We will introduce new reforms alongside the White Paper on legal migration.
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Question
The Home Secretary visited Betty Berkins café last year to discuss massive overseas recruitment while investment in our domestic workforce was falling. How will these measures contribute to training and upskilling the domestic workforce?
Minister reply
We need proper training and skills linked with shortages and immigration system changes, ensuring we support skills and tackle labour market challenges.
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Question
How deliverable are many elements of this policy given the significant electoral defeat on immigration? What will happen to those in graduate employment?
Minister reply
We are implementing policies from our manifesto, identifying up to 180 lower-skilled occupations not recruiting from abroad and reducing lower-skilled migration.
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Question
What was it about the local election results that first attracted the Home Secretary to the idea of rushing out an immigration White Paper?
Minister reply
Even I could not draw up a White Paper in two weeks. This White Paper was announced before Christmas when we saw the scale of the huge increase in net migration by the hon. Gentleman’s party.
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Question
Will the Home Secretary properly consult the higher education sector to ensure that we do not harm our local economy and the opportunities for both international and home students?
Minister reply
I strongly value international students’ contribution to our economy. We need to make sure universities uphold standards by ensuring systems are not misused, so we can continue to support international students.
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Question
Can the Home Secretary offer any reassurance regarding the use of divisive language such as 'island of strangers'?
Minister reply
Our approach is about embedding fairness and community cohesion at the heart of our immigration system, challenging exploitation and ensuring people can speak English.
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Question
What steps is the Home Secretary planning to take to clamp down on fraudulent practices in the care sector?
Minister reply
We will end overseas recruitment of care workers, support the care sector through fair pay agreements, and improve support here in the UK.
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Question
When will the hotel housing illegal asylum seekers in my constituency close?
Minister reply
This Government are clear that we need to end asylum hotels by clearing the backlog and making reforms to the appeals system.
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Question
What are the Home Secretary’s plans for refugees whose work visas will expire?
Minister reply
We want refugees to be able to apply for skilled worker visas. People who stay in this country when circumstances change at home can reapply for their visas.
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Question
Will the Home Secretary please take my invitation to come to Dundee so that she can see the direct consequences of her Department’s policies on the university?
Minister reply
International students have brought huge benefits. However, it is important that all universities meet the proper standards of visa compliance.
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Question
Will my right hon. Friend tell us a bit more about the work she will do on the White Paper with Skills England and others to ensure we boost apprenticeships?
Minister reply
We are supporting 60,000 more construction workers through training to support our economy.
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Question
Will the new rules apply to existing immigrants or just those coming in in future?
Minister reply
We want settlement rules amended as swiftly as possible and to apply widely, but we will consult on the detail.
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Question
What will this White Paper do for young people in my constituency who are not in education, employment or training?
Minister reply
One of the most important aspects is the increase in the immigration skills charge to support skills and training here in the UK.
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Question
Have the Government considered the impacts on care workers, the sick, frail and elderly? Will they publish an impact assessment?
Minister reply
We will work with universities that have not met compliance standards by setting out action plans.
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Question
I thank the Home Secretary for her statement and for the steps she is taking to bring order to the chaotic immigration system we inherited. Universities in Edinburgh are on their knees because of changes made by the Tory Government to immigration and due to SNP cuts to the sector. The staff are keen to contribute to economic growth but they are concerned that what is in the White Paper may make this harder. Can she commit to working across Government to ensure that our universities come out of this stronger so that they can contribute to economic growth?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend, while noting the context of his entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, is correct about the increase in student visas for lower-ranking universities and the issue of graduates not securing graduate jobs afterwards. We support international students and will work with universities to ensure high standards of compliance are met, so that when international students stay in the UK they can secure graduate-level employment.
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Question
Could the Home Secretary explain why language reminiscent of Enoch Powell was used by the Prime Minister during the introduction of this White Paper? There has been no speaking up about the enormous value migration brings to this country, such as keeping our NHS running and contributing to education services. With 130,000 vacancies in the care sector, does anything in her White Paper address community relations or deal with labour shortages in the NHS and care service, or is it merely intended to please certain individuals?
Minister reply
At the beginning of my statement, I highlighted the importance of migrants working in our NHS, serving in armed forces jobs, and undertaking difficult coalmining roles. However, migration needs to be controlled and managed effectively alongside tackling labour market issues. Net migration quadrupled over four years with cuts to domestic training leading to skill shortages; hence, the need for a better system is evident.
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Question
My constituents are tired of broken promises on immigration. Five Conservative Prime Ministers promised to cut arrivals while letting numbers reach record highs. Can the Secretary of State confirm that the broken promises are over, and will this Government invest in skills and training for my constituents as they claim?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises an important point. We are setting out practical plans on skilled worker visas, construction training jobs, and an immigration skills charge to invest in training. Through these common-sense measures, we aim to restore order to the immigration system and bring down net migration levels.
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Question
The White Paper discusses potential changes based on learning from the displaced talent programme in vague terms. Can the Home Secretary be clear about where she sees these changes going? More importantly, what safeguards will prevent such changes acting as a massive magnet for illegal entry to our country?
Minister reply
Contrary to the hon. Member's suggestion, we are focusing on capped and limited schemes. Currently, skilled workers like engineers and scientists can apply for visas, but recognised refugees often cannot do so even if they possess relevant skills and talents. We aim to help such individuals by allowing them to come in on a skilled worker visa when they have the required skills.