Bright Blue, the independent think tank for liberal conservatism, responds to the Conservative Party’s newly announced election immigration policies, which propose setting limits on particular categories of migrants and giving this power to the Migration Advisory Committee.
Commenting, Ryan Shorthouse, director of Bright Blue, said:
“There should be limits on the total number of particular categories of migrants, for very progressive reasons. But those limits should be set after extensive consultation and careful examination of the evidence. The previous net migration target was not set in this way. It is right that the Migration Advisory Committee should lead this process. However, the governance of the Migration Advisory Committee will need reforming to ensure it is seen and trusted as properly independent of the Home Office.”
The Conservative Party has promised to introduce two Bright Blue policies that derive from our 2015 report, A manifesto on immigration:
- The Migration Advisory Committee will be given the power to set new limits on particular categories of migrants
- The Migration Advisory Committee will be obliged to produce an Annual Report assessing policy and progress on immigration
