Stephen Kinnock responds to today’s visa applications statistics

Stephen Kinnock MP, Labour's Shadow Immigration Minister, responding to today's visa applications statistics, said:

“This is the Conservative government that allowed net migration to triple to a record 745,000 in just four years. These figures show main skilled worker visas have increased to a record high, up by half compared to the same point last year.

"Now they are scrambling around, desperately trying to clean up the mess they made. While public spats between ministers continue, all the public see is a Tory government with no grip on immigration.

"Labour is clear that we will deliver a Skills and Growth levy to support local people intotraining, ensure no return to Tory rules that allowed employers to undercut British workers, and make sure migration and skills policy are joined up so we can support the aims of the UK economy."

Ends

Notes:

• Newly published monthly data on applications for entry clearance visas:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications/monthly-monitoring-of-entry-clearance-visa-applications
  
  
• Skilled worker visas:
  
  
• • Q1 2023: 36,900 (20,700 + 16,200)
  • Q1 2024: 55,500 (29,200 + 26,300)
  • Increase of 50.4%
    
    
  • Year ending April 2023: 120,900 (70,200 + 50,700)
  • Year ending April 2024: 143,500 (78,800 + 64,700)
  • Increase of 18.7%