Sunak vows to 'halve net migration' as PM warns voters against 'surrendering' borders to Starmer

The Prime Minister blasted the Labour leader after highlighting a number of recent migration reforms.

He said: “Of course it [net migration] was too high. I've been very clear about that. I've been everyone’s Prime Minister for 18 months. In that time, we've taken significant action.

“Net migration was down last year, the first full year I was in office. And this year, thanks to the reforms I've put in place, the number of visas we've issued is down by 30 per cent. That has never happened.

“So, for example, we raise the salary that you have to earn to come here to work to £38,500, tightened up our other visas, 30 per cent down. And you know what it's forecast to come down by?

“It's forecast, net migration, to halve in the next 12 months. Halve. Because of the measures that I have taken, we are getting migration down and we will go further.”

Net migration reached the record-breaking figure of 745,000 in 2022.

However, Sunak’s reference to a drop in net migration drop centred around the figure hitting 685,000 last year.

In a warning about Starmer’s Labour, Sunak added: “We're going to halve net migration and then we're going to reduce it every year thanks to a legal cap on migration. Now again, the choice for everyone, is me or Keir Starmer.

“I'm the person that's got the number of visas issued down 30 per cent this year. I’m the person where the forecast show net migration is going to halve. I'm the person that will give you a legal cap on migration, voted on in Parliament every year to guarantee that it keeps falling.

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“Keir Starmer was someone who, when he stood for the Labour leadership, wrote a letter promising to defend free movement of people. He said we should close the detention centres for illegal migrants, close them down.

“He boasted about getting migrants more welfare. And that's why you simply can't trust him on this issue. Do not surrender our borders to the Labour Party.”

Despite Sunak’s criticism, Starmer is no longer supporting a return of freedom of movement.

Sunak also claimed the Government has been making “progress” on tackling the Channel crossing crisis but stressed the “job is not done” and defended his Rwanda plan as a deterrent.

The number of migrants making the perilous 21-mile journey has exceeded 50,000.

Responding to the number, the Prime Minister said: “Talk to the illegal migrants in Calais themselves. What are they all saying? They are all saying, ‘I'm not going to come right now. I'm waiting for this Rwanda scheme to be scrapped if the other lot get in’.

“As I said, they are queuing up in Calais waiting for a Labour Government. And as I said the other night, if Labour win, the people smugglers and the criminal gangs are going to need a bigger boat.

“Do not surrender our borders to Keir Starmer and the Labour Party. I asked him multiple times, he can't tell you what he's going to do with illegal migrants. I can, they're on planes and they're out.”

Sunak and Starmer have very different methods for dealing with the Channel crossing crisis.

The Prime Minister is pledging for flights to head to Rwanda if he returns to Downing Street.

Following the defection of firebrand Tory Natalie Elphicke last month, Starmer pledged to scrap the Rwanda plan.

The Labour leader instead said he would use money saved to hire specialist investigators to tackle small boats crossing the Channel.

He also wants to use counter-terror powers to "smash" people smuggling gangs.

The move will involve establishing a new Border Security Command to work with Border Force, MI5 and the National Crime Agency on prosecuting gangs operating small boat routes.