The British Conservative Party is probably the most active one in terms of immigration recently due to calls for the tightening of the visa regime. This political operation is being made as pressures are building for action on immigration and its consequences for public policies and jobs. Since its started, it provoked a lot of attention and discussion, which demonstrates the social conflicts in the UK concerning immigration.
Background and Current Context
Like any other country in the world the role of immigration policies can be understood from the fact that United Kingdom being an immigrant friendly country has been receiving immigrants throughout the world in search of better opportunities. Specifically, the political party considered to be initially more concerned with the issue of immigration as opposed to its openness The Conservative Party has even reinforced its position in the recent years. This change it partly due to increasing dissatisfaction by the public, especially in relation to pressure on public services and with regards the creation of jobs for British citizens.
Immigration was a critical factor in the Brexit referendum, 52% of the responses given listed that measure control over immigration as the significant reason to leave the European Union. Since the Brexit vote, the United Kingdom has put in place a new points-based immigration system intended for top talented workers and skilled employees with little to no low skilled immigration.
Conservative Party’s Position
The Conservative Party’s recent push for stricter visa policies focuses on several key areas:The Conservative Party’s recent push for stricter visa policies focuses on several key areas:
- Reducing Overall Numbers: The party strived at a reduced number of visas to be issued in any given year. This is through the contraction of the standard for work visa, student visa as well as the visa for family reunion purposes. The specific aim is to, through lowering the net migration numbers, ease the burden posed by immigrants to the welfare state including healthcare, education and housing.
- Targeting Illegal Immigration: Limitation of immigration or the restriction of people immigration especially where such immigration is unlawful is another key factor that the Conservative Party fights for. This can be achieved through raising the standards of security along the borders, strengthening the measures and consequences for the violators of the law concerning the illegitimate entries, as well as moving forward to the cooperation with the partners in globalization in combating human traffic and illegitimate migration networks.
- Economic Focus: According to the new standards, the immigration policies aim to bring in people that will benefit the economy of the United Kingdom. This constitutes highly qualified personnel in sectors with shortages in human capital for instance, in the health, technological and engineering fields. The idea of having a points-based system will benefit the applicant with employment offer, skills in the higher level of education or proficiency in the English language.
- Security Measures: Another factor that has come out clearly through the Conservative Party visa policies is the need to protect national security. This party states that Gestapo should conduct a criminal records check and go further in demanding other critical screenings that will ensure that such people are not allowed into the United Kingdom.
Political and Public Reactions
The crusade taken by the Conservative Party on how to crackdown on non-UK residents has prompted different reactions from rivals, critics and the people.
Critics assert that what is required is an increase in the measures to safeguard the resources of public sectors, improve the security of the nation, and make sure that immigration is beneficial in boosting the local economy. Some of them think that the current rate of immigration is improper and that a greater stringency of measures would establish a more appropriate access to immigration.
On the other hand, critics are much more skeptical and assert that the approach chosen by the Conservative Party is too aggressive and may have negative repercussions to UK’s image as the European country welcoming international companies and talents. They say that immigrants are engaged in the economic system to ensure that they get services which they can hardly find anywhere else. Quad charter members caution that restrictive visa policies may result in labor shortages and potentially harm the economy.
Non-governmental organizations, human rights groups have also commented that the new policies may worsen immigration status and the plight of immigrants as well as their families experience. They focus on human rights and advocate for the immigration issue to be efficient but compassionate.
Future Outlook
The conservatism’s attempt to tighten the visa regime is not an isolated phenomenon, but is a part of global tendencies in regard to immigrants’ admitted curtailment of rights. The fight as to how these challenges concerning immigration can be balanced with the opportunities brought in by immigration will probably go on as nations seek to determine the right approach to the issue.
The British Conservative Party and their policy plans could potentially succeed in the United Kingdom insofar as its leaders are in a position to respond to the people’s concerns and act accordingly, ensuring that it is not at the detriment to the economy, and the image of the United Kingdom on the global stage. This debate will therefore persist with policy implementation, changes, rejections, and supports, affecting the flow of immigrations, public service delivery, and the economy at large.
In a nutshell, it can be argued that the Conservative Party’s position on visa is one of the tools underlying its electoral political program, which shows that party’s focus on the problems of its voters, as well as speaking about the hot issue of immigration.
