David Cameron's set out a series of new measures designed to make it tougher for immigrants to claim benefits and use public services like the NHS. Delivering a major speech, the PM told an audience in Ipswich that net migration needs to come down from hundreds of thousands a year to tens of thousands a year. The Prime Minister is also proposing to keep migrant families off council house waiting lists for at least two years and possibly up to five, with local authorities required to introduce minimum residency times.
Addressing the audience, Mr Cameron said:
"Net migration needs to come down radically from hundreds of thousands a year to just tens of thousands.
"And as we bring net migration down, so we must also make sure that Britain continues to benefit from it.
"Now, that means insuring that those that do come here are the brightest and the best."
On housing, the PM said:
"New migrants should not expect to be given a home on arrival.
"And yet at present almost one in ten new social lettings go to foreign nationals.
"So I am going to introduce new statutory housing allocations guidance this spring to create a local residence test."
"This should mean that local people rightly get priority in the social housing system.
"And migrants will need to have lived here and contributed to this country for at least two years before they can qualify."
Mr Cameron also outlined his plans to restrict the use by immigrants of the NHS, he said,
"we're going to get better at reciprocal charging.
"Or let me put that more simply, wherever we can claim back the cost of NHS care, we will."
"If someone visiting the UK from another EEA country uses our NHS then it is right that they or their government pay for it.
"British taxpayers should support British families and those who contribute to our economy.
"And for migrants from outside the EEA, we want to introduce stricter charging or a requirement for private health insurance to cover the costs of NHS care."
The perceived harder line is expected to please the Tory right, but not the Bishop of Dudley. The Rt Revd David Walker has criticised the direction the government's taking on the issue. He told Marcus Jones on the News Hour the coalition's sending out the wrong message:
Sir Andrew Green is the Chairman of Migration Watch UK.
He supports the proposals but tells Premier's Marcus Jones he'd like more infomation.
Last week the government announced that people from some non-EU countries could soon have to pay a deposit before entering Britain. The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg said he wanted to create a system which tackles abuses of the immigration system. Under his plans, those from so-called "high risk" countries would pay a four figure sum on entry, and they'd get it back when they leave. Earlier, Ed Miliband used a party political broadcast to apologise for Labour's record on the issue and on Saturday in Birmingham he admitted it was one of three things Labour got wrong, along with bank regulation and Iraq.