UK Prime Minister Theresa May
has pledged to bring down the country’s net migration levels as it
prepares to leave the European Union (EU).
During her first Prime Minister's Question session at the House of Commons, May said she was committed to reduce the overall number of immigrant entries to the UK as one of the main pledges of the Brexit option.
Nearly 52 percent of British voters opted to leave the EU in a referendum on June 23, in hopes of taking back control over their borders and having more economic freedom.
“People want control of free movement from the EU and that is precisely what we will be doing,” the premier said, days after replacing David Cameron as the new leader of the ruling Conservative Party.
“I also remain firm in my belief that we need to bring net migration down to sustainable levels, the Government believes that it tens of thousands, it will take some time to get there, but now we have the added aspect of controls we can bring in relation to people moving from the EU,” she added.
According to quarterly figures from the Office for National Statistics, published in late May, some 630,000 people came to Britain in 2015 while only 297,000 left the country.
While the total migrants entering the UK showed a slight drop of 2,000, the number of those who left the country was 22,000 less than last year, leading to a net migration of 333,000.
May’s reaffirmation of her promise came only a day after her newly-appointed Foreign Minister Boris Johnson drew criticism by refusing to set target numbers for the upcoming cuts.
It is "entirely right to be careful about committing to numbers because one doesn't want to be in a position where you are disappointing people again,” the former London mayor told a press conference on Tuesday.
UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd also failed to define any clear targets, only saying London wanted to cut the figure to “sustainable levels.”
May said Wednesday that leaving the EU facilitates the cuts and she is committed to the Conservative manifesto pledge to reduce the number to the tens of thousands by 2020.
During her first Prime Minister's Question session at the House of Commons, May said she was committed to reduce the overall number of immigrant entries to the UK as one of the main pledges of the Brexit option.
Nearly 52 percent of British voters opted to leave the EU in a referendum on June 23, in hopes of taking back control over their borders and having more economic freedom.
“People want control of free movement from the EU and that is precisely what we will be doing,” the premier said, days after replacing David Cameron as the new leader of the ruling Conservative Party.
“I also remain firm in my belief that we need to bring net migration down to sustainable levels, the Government believes that it tens of thousands, it will take some time to get there, but now we have the added aspect of controls we can bring in relation to people moving from the EU,” she added.
According to quarterly figures from the Office for National Statistics, published in late May, some 630,000 people came to Britain in 2015 while only 297,000 left the country.
While the total migrants entering the UK showed a slight drop of 2,000, the number of those who left the country was 22,000 less than last year, leading to a net migration of 333,000.
May’s reaffirmation of her promise came only a day after her newly-appointed Foreign Minister Boris Johnson drew criticism by refusing to set target numbers for the upcoming cuts.
It is "entirely right to be careful about committing to numbers because one doesn't want to be in a position where you are disappointing people again,” the former London mayor told a press conference on Tuesday.
UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd also failed to define any clear targets, only saying London wanted to cut the figure to “sustainable levels.”
May said Wednesday that leaving the EU facilitates the cuts and she is committed to the Conservative manifesto pledge to reduce the number to the tens of thousands by 2020.
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