Immigration quotas ruled out

Last Modified: 07 Sep 2008
Source: ITN

Ministers have rejected proposals for a cap on immigration set out in a cross-party report.

The new parliamentary think-tank on migration is expected to call on the Government to slash the number of non-EU migrants who are allowed to stay in the UK permanently after their work permits expire.

Led by Labour maverick Frank Field and Conservative former minister Nicholas Soames, the Migration Advisory Committee will call on ministers to balance immigrant numbers with emigrants to stabilise the population.

But Immigration Minister Liam Byrne ruled out putting caps and quotas on immigrant numbers.

He said: "Our tough new points system plus our plans for newcomers to earn their citizenship will reduce overall numbers of economic migrants coming to Britain, and the numbers awarded permanent settlement.

"Crucially the points system means only the migrants with the skills Britain needs can come - and no more. Unlike made-up quotas, this stops Government cutting business off from the skills it needs."

Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "We have made our own proposals to set an annual limit on economic immigration, because we want to reduce the pressure on our public services which has been caused by the uncontrolled immigration levels of recent years."

Habib Rahman, chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said that the group's expected proposals "completely ignore the positive contribution migrants make to life in the UK".

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