Thursday 20 December 2012

Stephen Metcalfe MP welcomes new immigration controls

Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, has welcomed new policies announced by the Home Secretary to combat immigration abuses and to cut net migration further.

Theresa May has this week set out new plans to extend the use of interviews in visa applications instead of relying on paper applications alone.

The new measures come shortly after the latest migration statistics showed that the government’s reforms of all the routes of immigration have cut net immigration by a quarter, with the total number of visas issued is at its lowest since 2005.

Mr Metcalfe commented: “Thanks to Conservative reforms we have already seen net migration cut  by a quarter compared to last year and the total number of visas issued is at its lowest since 2005”

“Under Labour immigration was out of control. It accounted for more than half the growth of the English and Welsh population between 2001 and 2011 – with total net immigration of 2.2 million.”

"This new approach will help us to root out the abuse of British visas, improve the integrity of our immigration system and bring the numbers down even further."