Oral Answers to Questions

Karen Bradley Excerpts

Monday 6th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

11. What steps she plans to take to reduce annual immigration from states outside the EU to the tens of thousands.

[Karen Bradley (Staffordshire Moorlands) (Con)]

15. What steps she plans to take to reduce annual immigration from states outside the EU to the tens of thousands.

[The Minister for Immigration (Damian Green)]

As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced to the House a fortnight ago, we are introducing a new permanent limit on non-EU economic migrants, with a reduction in the number of visas next year from 28,000 to 21,700. We are also taking action to tighten our immigration system across all the key routes—work, students and family—and will make settlement in this country a privilege to be earned.

--- Later in debate ---

[Damian Green]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for asking that question, because it enables me to puncture one of the great urban myths in the immigration debate, which is that most immigration comes from within the European Union. The net migration figures—which we will get down to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament—show that the vast bulk of immigrants come from outside the European Union. She asked about the numbers. In 2009, 292,000 non-European economic area migrants entered the UK and only 109,000 left. The House will see that the vast majority of net immigration comes from outside the European Union. Such immigration is precisely what we will take action on.

[Karen Bradley]

Will the Minister assure the House that the new proposals to control immigration will protect the interests of legitimate businesses?

[Damian Green]

I give that assurance to the House and, beyond that, to business. We held something that has been unusual in recent years: a consultation that genuinely consulted. We listened to business and changed the rules on inter-company transfers. That is also why we got rid of most of tier 1 and left a small remainder for the very exceptional. We now have a system that will not only enable us to get immigration to sustainable levels, but protect businesses and educational institutions that are vital to our future prosperity.