Limit ‘bad migration’, says Zahawi, but we need more skilled workers

BRITAIN must limit ‘bad migration’ while allowing in more skilled workers who can boost the economy, a Cabinet minister has said.

Nadhim Zahawi said that although foreign students were welcome in the UK, it was wrong that some brought as many as six family members with them. By contrast, he claimed the public would support the arrival of hundreds more engineers to install ultra-fast broadband.

His distinction will be seen as a rebuke to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who announced last week her ‘ultimate aspiration’ was to cut net migration to the tens of thousands. She is also believed to have rejected proposals to hand out more visas to foreign workers in areas where there are large numbers of vacancies, such as floristry and hairdressing.

Asked on Sky News yesterday if the Tories’ growth plans risked angering voters who wanted lower levels of immigration, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr Zahawi replied: ‘People are actually right, that we want to bear down on bad migration.’ He cited the example of international students, who he described as ‘a really positive thing for our universities, for our communities’.

But he added: ‘There are some people who are coming to study in the UK who are bringing five, six more people with them. Is that right? No. Because we have to make sure that they’re coming to legitimately study here.’

Mr Zahawi contrasted this with ‘projects that we’re trying to deliver’. ‘ We need more engineers who can splice the actual technology together to deliver gigabit broadband. If we need another 200 or 300 engineers to come in to be able to do that at pace, I think people will support that.’

Told that the Home Secretary would not agree with him, he said she attended his weekly meetings on legal and illegal migration. ‘ She would agree with me when I say to you, we have to bear down on the bad migration and make sure that the economy and the big projects are delivered.’