Migration is still soaring as new visas near 1million

THE number of visas awarded to foreign workers and students has surged by hundreds of thousands, new figures are expected to show today – in a sign immigration levels are yet to peak.

Home Office data is thought to show nearly a million migrants were granted permission to come to Britain for work or study in the year to March.

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics, also coming out today, are expected to show net migration – the difference between migrants arriving and those emigrating – spiralled in the year to December, to between 700,000 and one million.

But the Home Office figures give a more up-to- date picture of immigration levels and are likely to show that high levels of net migration have continued into 2023.

This will present ministers with a further headache as they attempt to pacify concerned voters and MPs on the right of the Conservative Party who are demanding sustainable levels of migration.

When the figures were last published by the Home Office

‘More needs to be done’

months ago, they showed 267,670 work visas were granted in the year to December, up 95 per cent on 2019 levels.

In the same period, 485,758 student visas were granted, up 81 per cent on 2019.

But today’s updated figures – which track the year to March 2023 – are likely to show huge rises across both visa categories, bringing the total to almost a million. Other visa types will take the overall number far higher.

It came as a Home Office minister indicated there might be ‘ more that needs to be done’ to lower immigration levels, after Prime Minister rishi Sunak earlier this week announced new restrictions on student visas.

From January, most foreign students will be barred from bringing their families to Britain and will no longer be able to switch to work visas unless they have completed their courses. ‘ We want to ensure that we bring net migration down,’ immigration minister robert Jenrick told the Commons yesterday.

‘We consider that to be a solemn promise to the British public, and an important manifesto commitment.’

He said the student visa measures will ‘ make a tangible difference’. But Mr Jenrick admitted: ‘ There might be more that needs to be done.’

The Mail understands the Home Office is likely to look at cutting the length of time foreign graduates can stay in the UK to work from two years to six months.

They may also lobby for Cabinet agreement on raising the salary threshold and skills levels for foreign workers – meaning fewer will qualify for a visa. Separately, the Government’s official immigration adviser warned the new restrictions would be limited in impact.

Professor Brian Bell, chairman of the Home Office’s Migration Advisory Committee, said: ‘It’ll make some difference, but not enormous.

‘If you want to get net migration down to the tens of thousands, this won’t get you there.’ Prof Bell told Times radio that high levels of immigration were being caused by ‘deliberate government policy’ after ministers created generous humanitarian schemes for Ukrainians and Hong Kong citizens.

At Prime Minister’s Questhree tions yesterday Sir Keir Starmer said that Labour wants to scrap rules that allow firms to pay 20 per cent below the going rate to hire overseas workers for jobs on the Home Office’s ‘ shortage occupation list’.

But Mr Sunak accused Labour of adopting an ‘opendoor migration policy’.

‘Just this week we announced the biggest-ever single measure to tackle legal migration,’ Mr Sunak said. ‘ But what is ( Sir Keir’s) contribution? There are absolutely no ideas... absolutely no semblance that there would be any control.’

However, the Home Office yesterday announced that the shortage occupation list will be expanded – to cover fishermen, trawler skippers and experienced trawler deckhands.

The Conservatives ditched their previous pledge of net migration below 100,000 a year ahead of the 2019 election.

Downing Street said on Tuesday that it was expected to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the ‘ medium term’. In the year to March 2020 the net migration figure was 313,000.

‘Absolutely no ideas’

IF even Sir Keir Starmer, the chief cheerleader for open borders, feels confident enough to goad the Government over its appalling record on migration, the Tories really are in deep trouble.

With home Office data to show nearly a million migrants coming here in the year to March, it’s easy to see why a new poll shows Labour is more trusted on immigration.

For 13 years, voters have demanded curbs to migration. For 13 years, the Tories have failed to take decisive action. If they can’t control our borders, what’s the point of them?