The forecasts blow apart the Government’s 2019 manifesto pledge to bring down the overall rate of net migration from its then level of 226,000.
The figures will fuel fresh demands for Rishi Sunak to go further in cracking down on net migration on top of his pledge to “stop the boats”.
On Tuesday, James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, announced the timetable for a package of measures to be introduced from March 11 with the aim of reducing net migration by 300,000 from its record of 745,000 in 2022.
The Home Secretary admitted migration was too high, saying: “We must get back to sustainable levels.”
He added that the package was “firm but fair”, and gave the migrants affected “time to prepare whilst ensuring that migration comes down”.
Mr Cleverly also announced that the UK and France would go “further and faster” under the £480 million deal to stop the boats, with extra aerial surveillance by drones and planes to be fast-tracked and nearly half of the 500 UK-funded officers already deployed on French beaches.
Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, said the figures were “too high,” placing pressure on schools, NHS and housing. She called for a cap on migrants.
“Recent government measures will help a bit, but they’re very late. We need a cap on overall numbers so we can hold government to account and fix this problem,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, warned that the surge in immigration was “not how you create a united country” and said the projected annual rise of 315,000 would “only deepen the housing crisis”.
“There is no democratic consent for this outcome. The pace of change is far too fast. The power to change this, and set us on course for far more sustainable numbers, is in Parliament’s hands,” he added.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
