Angela Rayner requires big migration crackdown in bombshell memo | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Angela Rayner known as for a serious crackdown on immigrationa leaked memo reportedly exhibits. The Deputy Prime Minister urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to usher in a raft of adjustments as she strayed from her temporary. In the key memo first reported by the Telegraph, Ms Rayner and her crew instructed Ms Reeves ought to take into account limiting entry to the State Pension for lately arrived immigrants.

They additionally put ahead an thought to make it harder for immigrants to entry Universal Credit welfare funds and to boost the charge which must be paid to make use of the NHS. According to the Telegraph, the memo was a bid to steer the Chancellor to take a look at options to attainable spending cuts.

Ms Rayner’s memo, which the Express has not seen, reportedly urges Ms Reeves to boost taxes and incorporates “more radical” concepts that might be thought-about “contentious” however have been “worthy of careful consideration”. The memo mentioned migrants who’ve spent 5 to 10 years within the UK usually obtain entry to a broad vary of welfare entitlements.

It added that indefinite depart to stay in Britain confers entry to “core welfare entitlements” similar to Universal Credit, in addition to 10 years of National Insurance contributions, which the memo mentioned confers eligibility for some State Pension provision.

The doc mentioned those that arrived within the UK in the course of the interval of “very high immigration” prior to now few years would grow to be eligible for indefinite depart to stay over the course of this Parliament.

It continued: “The Spring Statement could announce a review of entitlements with a target saving to be delivered in time for the spending review or autumn Budget, and include Universal Credit and state pension entitlements.

“The overview may additionally take into account whether or not additional rises within the Immigration Health Surcharge ought to be applied (presently set at £1,035 and elevating [circa] £1.7 billion a 12 months).”

It added that figures from the Department of Health and Social Care show that amount “solely simply” covers the estimated average cost of treating patients who are migrants.

The Immigration Health Surcharge was introduced in 2015. It is a fee foreigners on work visas have to pay to gain access to healthcare provided by the state and is designed to help pay for their NHS care.

Since 2024, the charge has been £1,035, having risen from £200 in 2015, £400 in 2019 and £624 in 2020.

Ms Rayner’s memo doesn’t include estimates as to how much money would be saved as a result of the suggestions, according to the Telegraph.

Under present guidelines, immigrants with visas, other than refugees, can’t obtain most money advantages. But this adjustments when they’re granted indefinite depart to stay.

This is step one in direction of turning into a British citizen and might solely be accomplished, generally, after 5 years of being within the nation.

The Home Office introduced this month that it could take into account extending this era to 10 years for extra immigrants, that means they’d be pressured to attend longer to entry welfare advantages.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled Government plans to chop web migration earlier this month. Ministers count on the measures to cut back the variety of folks coming to the UK by as much as 100,000 per 12 months.

Net migration is the distinction between the variety of folks coming to dwell within the UK long run and the variety of folks leaving to dwell out of the country.

For a few years, the extent of immigration (folks coming to the UK) has been increased than the extent of emigration (folks leaving).

Estimated web migration to the UK stood at a provisional complete of 728,000 within the 12 months to June 2024, in keeping with the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Some 1,207,000 folks have been estimated to have immigrated to the UK throughout these 12 months, whereas 479,000 have been estimated to have emigrated, making a web migration determine of 728,000.

This is down 20% from a document 906,000 within the earlier 12 months for the 12 months to June 2023.