I want to cut legal migration, says Sunak as he ducks manifesto pledge

RISHI SUNAK has insisted that he wants to bring down legal migration, as the annual net figure is expected to balloon to about 700,000 next week.

However, the Prime Minister refused to promise that he would deliver Boris Johnson’s manifesto pledge of bringing migration to a level below where it was in 2019. Cabinet splits emerged yesterday as Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, argued that Britain had to be “pragmatic” by filling shortages in key industries with foreign workers.

Earlier in the week, Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, used a speech at the National Conservatism conference to call for more British HGV drivers and fruit pickers to be trained.

After days of speculation about Downing Street’s position on rising legal migration numbers, Mr Sunak was asked about the issue during his flight to Japan for the G7 summit. He told reporters: “I’ve said I do want to bring legal migration down.

“I think illegal migration is undoubtedly the country’s priority, and you can see all the work I’m putting into that. But on legal migration as well, we are committed to bringing those numbers down.”

The 2019 election manifesto said that the end of EU freedom of movement and the introduction of an Australianstyle points based immigration system would mean that “overall numbers will come down”. At the time of the promise, annual net migration was 226,000.

Official statistics released next month are expected to show the figure has tripled since then.

Mr Sunak was pressed on whether he stood by the manifesto pledge, which amounted to driving net migration below 226,000. He declined to say it would be achieved.

He said: “We are committed to bringing down legal migration as well. I do think most people’s number one priority when it comes to migration is illegal migration, that is crystal clear to me.”

He added: “When it comes to legal migration, the key thing for people to know is we’re in control of why people are here, the circumstances and the terms on which they are here, making sure they contribute, to public services like the NHS for example.

“Those are all now part of our migration system and they weren’t before.” Pressed again on whether he was committed to reducing net migration to the quarter of a million figure, he said: “I’ve inherited some numbers, I want to bring the numbers down.”

Earlier in the day, Mr Hunt suggested that the shortage occupation list, which eases visa controls for certain sectors, could be expanded so businesses can “find the labour they need”.

Speaking at the British Chamber of Commerce’s annual conference in London, Mr Hunt said ministers would be “pragmatic when it comes to immigration requirements”.