not to— government is doing to urge israel not to proceed on blockade gaza, to comply— not to proceed on blockade gaza, to comply with international law and protect _ comply with international law and protect innocent lives?— comply with international law and protect innocent lives? pointing out that all sides _ protect innocent lives? pointing out that all sides must _ protect innocent lives? pointing out that all sides must abide _ protect innocent lives? pointing out that all sides must abide by - that all sides must abide by international humanitarian law, that ultimately there cannot be a military solution to pull it problems in the middle east, clearly the terrorist group her weight we hope not have a political row representing the palestinian people, but de—escalation and peace must come first. i but de-escalation and peace must come first-— but de-escalation and peace must come first. ., ,, ~ , ., come first. i thank the minister for answerin: come first. i thank the minister for answering the _ come first. i thank the minister for answering the urgent _ come first. i thank the minister for answering the urgent question. - answering the urgent question. foreign— answering the urgent question. foreign office minister answering questions about the situation in gaza, we are staying in the commons because james cleverley is going to get to his feet talk about migration. i get to his feet talk about migration-— get to his feet talk about migration. get to his feet talk about miaration. ., ,, ., ., ,, ., migration. i would like to make a statement _ migration. i would like to make a statement to _ migration. i would like to make a statement to the _ migration. i would like to make a statement to the house - migration. i would like to make a statement to the house on - migration. i would like to make a statement to the house on legal| statement to the house on legal migration. migration to this country is far too high and needs to come down. today we are taking more robust action than any other government before in order to ring this down. this is my first day in the home office, just three weeks ago, i have been determined to crackdown on those who try to jump the queue and exploit our immigration system, i have been working closely with my right honourable friend the immigration minister on this subject. the recent figures from the ons show a provisional estimate for net migration on the year ending june 2023 of 672,000. whilst this is lower than the ons estimate for net migration for the year ending december 2022, migration for the year ending december2022, it migration for the year ending december 2022, it is still far too high. when our country voted to leave the eu, we also voted to take back control of our borders. thanks to this conservative government we have a points—based immigration system through which we can control who comes to the uk. we prioritise the skills and talent that we need to grow our economy and to support our nhs, and we have a competitive visa system for globally mobile talent. for example, last yearwe expanded our health worker bees access to address the urgent need for more social care workers. the whole country can also be proud that in the last decade we have welcomed more than half a million people through humanitarian routes. people from ukraine, from hong kong, from afghanistan, including 85,000 from ukraine and hong kong in the last year alone. the british people will always do the right thing by those in need. but they also, and they are absolutely right to, want to reduce overall immigration numbers. not only by stopping the boats and shutting down illegal routes, but by well—managed reduction in legal my. people are understandably worried about housing, about gp appointments, about school places, and access to other public services when they can see their communities growing and growing quickly. from january 2024, the right for international students to bring dependents will be removed unless they are on postgraduate courses designated as a research programme. we always want to attract the global brightest and best. we have also stopped international students from switching out the student route into work boots before their studies have been completed. these changes will have a tangible impact on net. around 153,000 visas were granted to dependents of sponsored students in the year ending september 2023. today i can announce that we will go even further than those provisions already in place with a five—point plan to further curb immigration abuses and that will deliver the biggest ever reduction in net migration. in total, this package, plus our reduction in student —dependents, will mean around 300,000 fewer people will come in future years that have come to the uk last year. these measures are possible because we are building up our domestic workforce and supporting british workers. thanks to the excellent work of my right honourable friend the works and pensions secretary our back to work plan will help people stay healthy, get off benefits and move into sustainable employment. it builds on the ambitious £7 billion employment package from the spring budget to help up to 1.1 million people with long—term health conditions, disabilities or who have been long—term unemployment to look for work to get into work and to stay in work. we are also investing heavily in helping adults learn valuable skills and prepare for the economy of the future. and of course we have world—class universities that help in that endeavour. the five—point plan, the first of the five points will be to end the abuse of the health and care visa. do we. overseas care workers from bringing family dependents and we will require care firms in england to be regulated by the care quality commission in orderfor them to sponsor visas. approximately 120,000 dependents accompanied 100,000 care workers and senior care workers in the year ending september 2023. only 25% of dependents are estimated to be in work. meaning a significant number are drawing on public services, ratherthan number are drawing on public services, rather than helping to grow the economy. we recognise that foreign workers do great work in our nhs and health sector. but it is also important that migrants make a big enough financial dilution, therefore we will annual immigration health surcharge this year by 66% for £624 to £1035. to raise an average about £1.3 billion for the health services of this country every year. second, we will stop immigration undercutting the salary of british workers. we will increase the skilled worker earnings threshold by a third to 13,700 from next spring, in line with the median full—term wage for those kinds of jobs. those coming on health and social care visa routes will be exempt, so we can continue to bring in health care workers on which our care sector and nhs relies. thirdly, we will scrap cut—price shortage labour from overseas. we will scrap cut—price shortage labourfrom overseas. by ending we will scrap cut—price shortage labour from overseas. by ending the 20% going right salary discount for shortage occupations, and reforming the shortage occupation list. i have asked the migration advisory committee to review the occupations on this list because of our new hire skilled worker salary threshold, and we will create a new immigration salary list with a reduced number of occupations in coordination with their four play, we will ensure people only bring dependents or they can support financially. by raising the minimum income forfamily can support financially. by raising the minimum income for family visas to the same threshold as the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers, 13,000 700. the minimum income requirement —— 13,700 —— has not been increased since 2012. this package of measures will take place from next spring. finally, having already banned overseas masters students from bringing family members to the uk, higher fast the migration advisory committee to review the graduate route to prevent abuse, to protect the integrity and quality of the uk's outstanding higher education sector. it needs to work in the best interests of the uk. supporting the pathway into high—qualityjobs for the global high—quality jobs for the global talent high—qualityjobs for the global talent pool but reducing opportunities for abuse. this package of measures, taken with the measures on student —dependents we have already announced in may, means that around 300,000 fewer people will be eligible to come to the uk than were coming last year. this is the largest reduction on record. immigration policy must be fair, consistent, legal and sustainable. that is why we are also taking the fight to illegal. our plan to stop the boats is working. small boat arrivals are down by a third, even as illegal migration bill because the rest of europe is on the rise. today we have taken decisive action to reduce lidl —— illegal —— illegal migration bill 55—point plan. enough is enough. we are curbing abuses to the health care visa. we are increasing thresholds, cutting the sql discount, increasing family income requirements, and cutting the number of student dependents and i commend this statement to the house. shadow home secretary yvette cooper. well, i_ shadow home secretary yvette cooper. welt, ithink— shadow home secretary yvette cooper. well, i think the — shadow home secretary yvette cooper. well, i think the home _ shadow home secretary yvette cooper. well, i think the home secretary- shadow home secretary yvette cooper. well, i think the home secretary for. well, i think the home secretary for advance _ well, i think the home secretary for advance out of this statement. today's — advance out of this statement. today's statement is an admission of years— today's statement is an admission of years of— today's statement is an admission of years of total failure by this conservative government, failure on the immigration system and felt her on the _ the immigration system and felt her on the economy. it is another example _ on the economy. it is another example of the total chaos at the heart _ example of the total chaos at the heart of — example of the total chaos at the heart of this government. net great and has _ heart of this government. net great and has trebled since the last election. _ and has trebled since the last election, since the conservatives promised — election, since the conservatives promised to reduce it, and trebled as a result — promised to reduce it, and trebled as a result of their policies on the economy— as a result of their policies on the economy and on immigration, including _ economy and on immigration, including the prime minister's policy— including the prime minister's policy decisions. in a chaotic panic. — policy decisions. in a chaotic panic. the _ policy decisions. in a chaotic panic, the prime minister now opposes— panic, the prime minister now opposes the policies he introduced and thinks — opposes the policies he introduced and thinks that their own decisions at problem — and thinks that their own decisions at problem but who does the home secretary— at problem but who does the home secretary think has been in charge for the _ secretary think has been in charge for the last— secretary think has been in charge for the last 13 years? more chaos, more _ for the last 13 years? more chaos, more veering all over the place. net nrigration— more veering all over the place. net migration should come down. labour has called _ migration should come down. labour has called for an end to the 20% unfair— has called for an end to the 20% unfair discount for increased salary threshold — unfair discount for increased salary threshold to prevent... an end to the unfair— threshold to prevent... an end to the unfair discount, also for increased _ the unfair discount, also for increased salary threshold to prevent _ increased salary threshold to prevent exploitation and include advice _ prevent exploitation and include advice from a strengthened migration advisory— advice from a strengthened migration advisory committee and most of all, we have _ advisory committee and most of all, we have called for a proper plan with clear— we have called for a proper plan with clear links between the immigration system and training and the economy, workforce plans, none of which _ the economy, workforce plans, none of which are — the economy, workforce plans, none of which are included in this statement today. because they have no grip. _ statement today. because they have no grip, no _ statement today. because they have no grip, no proper plan, this is a chaotic— no grip, no proper plan, this is a chaotic approach. immigration is important — chaotic approach. immigration is important for britain. rightly we have _ important for britain. rightly we have helped ukraine and hong kong, we benefit _ have helped ukraine and hong kong, we benefit from international talent and students. that is why the immigration system needs to be controlled and managed, so that it's fair and _ controlled and managed, so that it's fair and effective, and also why net nrigration— fair and effective, and also why net migration should come down from these _ migration should come down from these record levels. but there needs to be a _ these record levels. but there needs to be a proper plan. it was this conservative government who brought in the _ conservative government who brought in the 20% _ conservative government who brought in the 20% wage discount that allowed — in the 20% wage discount that allowed employers to recruit at less than the _ allowed employers to recruit at less than the going rate. even though the nrigration— than the going rate. even though the migration advisory committee warned against _ migration advisory committee warned against it. _ migration advisory committee warned against it, even though it is completely unfair. they chose to apply— completely unfair. they chose to apply salary facials against lower than the — apply salary facials against lower than the migration advisory committee proposed, and not to update _ committee proposed, and not to update them for years. as chancellor and then— update them for years. as chancellor and then as _ update them for years. as chancellor and then as prime minister, the right— and then as prime minister, the right honourable member for richmond tightened _ right honourable member for richmond tightened the rules, including in may this— tightened the rules, including in may this year and including when they refused labour's calls to end they refused labour's calls to end the unfair— they refused labour's calls to end the unfair 20% discount. they repeatedly failed to listen to warnings about the failure to train or pay— warnings about the failure to train or pay properly here in the uk. 12 months _ or pay properly here in the uk. 12 months ago i warned that work visas had substantially increased as a result _ had substantially increased as a result of— had substantially increased as a result of major skills shortages in the uk _ result of major skills shortages in the uk and the conservatives were not taking — the uk and the conservatives were not taking any serious action to address— not taking any serious action to address those skill shortages. the leader— address those skill shortages. the leader of— address those skill shortages. the leader of the opposition 12 months a-o leader of the opposition 12 months ago warned the immigration system should _ ago warned the immigration system should be _ ago warned the immigration system should be linked to new requirements to train— should be linked to new requirements to train up— should be linked to new requirements to train up workers at home but the conservatives did nothing, and unbelievably they are still doing nothing — unbelievably they are still doing nothing. nothing in this statement about— nothing. nothing in this statement about training requirements or workforce plans. they say they want fewer _ workforce plans. they say they want fewer shortage occupations but it was only— fewer shortage occupations but it was only four months ago that they added _ was only four months ago that they added bricklayers, roof tilers, plasterers to the shortage list because — plasterers to the shortage list because they have totally failed on construction training at home. there are no— construction training at home. there are no plans — construction training at home. there are no plans to tackle that. engineering apprenticeships have halved _ engineering apprenticeships have halved since 2018, no wonder, engineering visas have gone up! nothing — engineering visas have gone up! nothing to track those failures, and social— nothing to track those failures, and social care — nothing to track those failures, and social care visas have gone up from 3500 _ social care visas have gone up from 3500 to _ social care visas have gone up from 3500 to over 100,000 a year because they have — 3500 to over 100,000 a year because they have failed for years to heed warnings — they have failed for years to heed warnings about recruitment and retention — warnings about recruitment and retention and social care. they halved — retention and social care. they halved the _ retention and social care. they halved the budget for social care workforce — halved the budget for social care workforce recruitment and support back in— workforce recruitment and support back in the — workforce recruitment and support back in the spring and still not listening. _ back in the spring and still not listening, still refusing to adopt labour's — listening, still refusing to adopt labour's plan for a proper workforce strategv _ labour's plan for a proper workforce strategy for — labour's plan for a proper workforce strategy for social care, including professional standards and unfair pay agreement. they are failing to tackle _ pay agreement. they are failing to tackle the — pay agreement. they are failing to tackle the delays in the asylum svstem — tackle the delays in the asylum system that have also boosted net migration — system that have also boosted net migration figures up, feeling typical— migration figures up, feeling typical nhs waiting list, preventing the long—term sick from going back to work _ the long—term sick from going back to work. the prime minister isjust crashing _ to work. the prime minister isjust crashing around all over the place. reversing — crashing around all over the place. reversing policies that he introduced, criticising policies he defended — introduced, criticising policies he defended six months ago, and introducing new immigration policies without— introducing new immigration policies without any of the economic policies to match _ without any of the economic policies to match. the previous prime minister— to match. the previous prime minister was accused of being a shopping — minister was accused of being a shopping trolley, veering around from _ shopping trolley, veering around from one — shopping trolley, veering around from one side to the other. the current— from one side to the other. the current prime minister is clearly veering — current prime minister is clearly veering but he is certainly not steering. _ veering but he is certainly not steering, he isjust climbing to someone — steering, he isjust climbing to someone else's shopping trolley and is being _ someone else's shopping trolley and is being pushed around all of the place _ is being pushed around all of the place can — is being pushed around all of the place. can the home secretary tell us, where — place. can the home secretary tell us, where is