Labour vow to scrap immigration cap to make it easier and cheaper for migrants to enter Brexit Britain
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott will pledge to scrap the 'tens of thousands' target and introduce a work visa if Labour gets elected to 10 Downing Street
LABOUR vowed to scrap the Government’s “meaningless” immigration caps and make it easier and cheaper for migrants to enter Brexit Britain.
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott will promise to axe the Government’s “tens and thousands” target and introduce a new work visa if Jeremy Corbyn wins the keys to No.10
This would allow unlimited numbers of overseas workers into Britain – from care workers to scientists – if there are skills shortages.
Migrants will also be offered “residency and accelerated citizenship” and the promise of an end to “exorbitant” fees for visa applications.
Ms Abbott insisted Labour would want businesses to advertise jobs locally first – and businesses to train up Brits.
But campaigners last night warned the proposals were a “kick in the teeth” for Labour’s traditional working class support.
But campaigners last night warned the proposals were a “kick in the teeth” for Labour’s traditional working class support.
Migration Watch chair Lord Green said: “The last time Labour came to power they tripled net migration in the space of a couple of years.
“Offering work visas to all who want to come here would be the end of immigration control.”
A Labour spokesman last night said the new immigration strategy would cover both EU and non-EU nationals.
But he added that the exact policy for EU nationals would be subject to negotiations with Brussels.
Currently, the UK limits the number of skilled workers able to come to the UK from outside the EU at 20,700 a year.
Ministers lifted doctors and nurses out of the cap in June because of staffing shortages in the NHS.
Ms Abbott said: “We have economic needs that dictate we need migrants to help skills shortages and labour shortages.
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“I am announcing that Labour in government will establish and completely reformed work visa policy.
“Under our new system anyone with specified bona fide skills can come here to work.”
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