Adopting an annual Migration Plan, in which decisions are based on evidence about the costs and benefits of different types of migration routes, would allow the government to weigh up the trade-offs inherent in migration policy (“Reforms to tighten immigration delayed”, news, 7 Apr). It would be able to set out what changes would mean for the economy, the labour market and public services, rather than making incoherent, knee-jerk changes or announcements in response to labour or net migration statistics. Since 2016, governments of all stripes have argued about the importance of control. But when, year after year, ministers are forced to disown the migration system that they oversee, it is little wonder the public is losing confidence. Adopting an annual plan would allow the home secretary and her cabinet colleagues to take back control.
British Future is a signatory to a letter in The Times today calling on the government to adopt an annual Migration Plan, together with the Directors of Onward, Centre for Policy Studies, IPPR and the Institute for Government. It reads:
The Institute for Government has also published a new report setting out the case for an annual migration plan – read it here.
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