RISING levels of migration are not a betrayal of Brexit, Michael Gove said today.
The Levelling Up Secretary acknowledged the need to "bring numbers down” but noted measures to do so would have not been possible before Brexit.
Net migration into the UK peaked at 745,000 in the year to December 2022, which is a record high according to revised estimates published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week.
The data places migration levels at three times higher than before Brexit, despite a Conservative Party 2019 manifesto pledge to bring overall numbers down.
Many MPs on the right of the party, including sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman, have called on Rishi Sunak to honour that commitment.
The Prime Minister is now working alongside new Home Secretary James Cleverly on further measures to drive down the numbers.
Speaking to LBC on Monday morning, Mr Gove rejected claims the new ONS figures are at odds with Britain’s vote to leave.
“Now we have the opportunity to decide, as the Prime Minister did earlier this year, to change the migration rules”, Mr Gove said.
He also pointed to refugees from Ukraine and Hong Kong inflating the figures, adding: "We have a proud tradition of providing shelter and support for those who are refugees.”
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On the measures expected, he said: “The Prime Minister has promised he is going to look at this. The Home Secretary is going to look at this.
“I can’t pre-empt the Home Secretary.
“I do believe that we will do everything we can in order to make sure not just that the Rwanda deal works, but also that the whole suite of policies that we have in order to control our borders, and make sure we deal with illegal migration are in place.”
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch also had her say on the ONS figures on the airwaves, insisting she would be pushing for the “strongest measures possible” to reduce migration.
Asked if she would support a proposal floated by former prime minister Boris Johnson to increase the salary threshold for migrant workers, Ms Badenoch told LBC: "Let's wait and see what the Home Secretary's package is.
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"I certainly think that this is something that needs to be done.
"So we know that there are many levers, the salary threshold is one, dependents is another.
"I am certainly in favour of us doing whatever it takes to bring the numbers down to a sustainable level. This is not something that I am being mealy mouthed about, but what I don't want to do is go into the specifics when I don't know what the plan is.
"But I certainly will be pushing all the strongest measures possible."
Appearing to lay the blame at Mr Johnson's door for the high migration numbers, Ms Badenoch also added: "The migration figures that we have seen were from last year. That was under prime minister Boris Johnson."
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