Immigration Rules Economic Impact

2026-06-08

TAGS
Response quality

Questions & Answers

Q1 Partial Answer
Christine Jardine Lib Dem
Edinburgh West
Context
Concern about economic impacts due to proposed changes in immigration rules.
What assessment has been made of the impact on the economy of my proposed changes to immigration rules?
Under the previous Government, net migration hit record highs after they lowered entry requirements and opened our borders. My definition of what is best for the UK economy is one where migration is controlled and where there is investment in skills and training for our home-grown workforce, not an overreliance on overseas recruitment.
Assessment & feedback
Specific economic impact assessment was not provided
Under Review Commitment To Control Migration
Response accuracy
Q2 Partial Answer
Danny Chambers Lib Dem
Winchester
Context
Concern about current visa rules for healthcare workers affecting the NHS and social care sector.
I thank the Home Secretary for her response. We have 104 different nationalities working in Winchester hospital, throughout Hampshire over one third of the workers in the social care sector are born outside the EU, and we know statistically that we are more likely to be cared for or treated by an immigrant than we are to be waiting behind one for a GP appointment. Does the Home Secretary recognise that the current visa rules for healthcare workers are driving away many of the people who are keeping our NHS and social care services running?
No one disputes the tremendous contribution that international workers make to our NHS. The picture the hon. Gentleman describes is replicated in constituencies across the country, and we will always welcome that contribution. Overseas recruitment in the NHS is falling primarily because the NHS is leading by example and doing what we want all employers to do: look first at domestic recruitment to ensure that the skills and expertise of the health service are home-grown.
Assessment & feedback
Specific recognition of impact on healthcare workers not provided
Overseas Recruitment Falling
Response accuracy
Q3 Partial Answer
Christine Jardine Lib Dem
Edinburgh West
Context
Concern about regulations impacting the ability to attract skilled workers in hospitality, social care and tech sectors.
Hospitality, social care and the tech sector are all vital sources of employment and economic stability in my constituency. The companies in those sectors are telling me that, despite their efforts to recruit domestically first, the Home Secretary's changes to indefinite leave to remain are making it very difficult for them to attract the skilled workforce from abroad that they need to keep the sector going. Will the Home Secretary reconsider the changes in the light of that impact and lighten the regulations to make it possible for these companies to survive?
We have to remember that currently in our country we have more than 1 million young people who are not in employment, education or training, and the hon. Lady and all Members should want us to turn that around and make sure that there are employment opportunities and a positive economic future in their own country for those young people in many of the sectors that she describes.
Assessment & feedback
No direct commitment or reconsideration of changes provided
Domestic Recruitment
Response accuracy
Q4 Partial Answer
Rupa Huq Lab
Ealing Central and Acton
Context
Concern about the withdrawal of post-study work visas impacting top universities in the UK.
It is a fact to be proud of that four of the world's 10 greatest universities in the global rankings are in the UK, including Imperial College London's White City campus in my constituency. We punch way above our population weight and our universities are genuine engines of growth. However, evidence shows that the withdrawal of the post-study work visa coupled with the rumours about changes in indefinite leave to remain are driving some of those brightest brains who have produced such statistics to competitor countries. Will my right hon. Friend meet me, education Ministers and my two vice-chancellors to thrash out a solution? There are real problems, but we do not want to scare off genuine innovators and wealth creators.
This Government have increased routes at the very top end of the skills spectrum, such as through our global talent visa, to make sure that we are attracting talent from all over the world. We have a good track record in doing so and will continue that.
Assessment & feedback
No direct discussion or commitment regarding meeting or solution provided
Global Talent Visa
Response accuracy
Q5 Partial Answer
Jonathan Brash Lab
Hartlepool
Context
Discussion of reversing globalisation and training own workforce.
In Hartlepool we are reversing 30 years of globalisation and taking advantage of the unprecedented falls in immigration, thanks to this Home Secretary, and training our own, whether through our Health and Social Care Academy, our civil engineering academy, our centre of excellence for welding or our nuclear trades academy. Does the Secretary of State agree that rather than seeing it as an economic threat, falling immigration is an economic opportunity to train our own?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. At a point when we have over a million young people not in employment, education or training, it is imperative that we make progress in this area. We would be letting our young people down if we did not take this opportunity to ensure that we are investing in our domestic skills workforce.
Assessment & feedback
No direct agreement on falling immigration as an economic opportunity provided
Investing In Domestic Skills
Response accuracy
Q6 Partial Answer
Katie Lam Con
Weald of Kent
Context
Concern about mass migration affecting economic opportunities for young people.
The latest estimates indicate that 627,000 non-EU migrants, mostly from low-income countries, came to the UK between December 2024 and December 2025. Meanwhile, 61,000 Brits aged 16 to 24 left the UK, as did another 65,000 aged 25 to 34. In recent years, for every young Briton who has been employed, 27 young migrants from outside the EU have also joined the workforce. Does the Home Secretary accept that mass migration has wrecked economic opportunity for young people? How will that inform any changes that she makes to the immigration rules, given that almost two thirds of a million non-EU migrants came to this country last year?
The employment statistics that the hon. Lady has just used run from January 2020 to December 2025, so I congratulate her on exposing the track record of the Tory Government.
Assessment & feedback
Attack on opposition party instead of addressing question
Exposing Track Record
Response accuracy