MP Rachel Maclean backs controversial immigration plans

MP Rachel Maclean said she backs the “radical” five-point plan to curb labour from overseas by stopping care workers and students from brining family dependants and increasing the salary threshold for skilled workers by almost 50%.

Other proposals include ensuring people can only bring dependants they can support financially and scrapping salary discounts for shortage occupations.

The MP said this will mean around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not be able to come now.

Ms Maclean said: “Immigration is far too high which puts unsustainable pressure on our public services. By making these changes and making full use of our Brexit freedoms, this Conservative Government is taking the long-term decisions to deliver the biggest reduction in net migration on record.

“For too long, there has been an over-reliance on migration to fill job vacancies. We’re putting an end to that by increasing the earning threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50% and by cracking down on cut-price labour from overseas by ending the 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations.

“This will put British workers first and incentivise businesses to invest in domestic workers.

"We’re doing this through Government investment in our Local Skills Improvement Plan, ensuring employers in Redditch have access to the workforce they need, and by developing a Digital Innovation and Manufacturing Centre in the town centre thanks to our £16.6 million Town Deal.”

Although those coming on the Health and Care visa route will be exempted from the increase to the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas, the latest plans have come under controversy.

On Monday, Labour’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said the announcement was “an admission of years of Tory failure on both the immigration system and the economy.”

Others on social media have voiced their concerns over “families being torn apart” due to the high salary threshold.