Rishi Sunak insisted he was determined to bring net migration down amid reports he reneged on a leadership contest deal with Suella Braverman to raise the salary threshold for migrant workers to £40,000.
The Prime Minister said “we need to do more” and indicated he would look at the number of dependants students can bring when they come to study in the UK, which has already been limited.
It comes after the Telegraph newspaper reported he had agreed on a four-point plan to lower levels of immigration in exchange for his sacked home secretary’s support, which included new restrictions for foreign workers.
Speaking at the Global Investment Summit at Hampton Court Palace, Mr Sunak said: “I’m very clear that the levels of net migration are too high. They need to come down to more sustainable levels.
“It is encouraging that the Office for National Statistics last week said the numbers are slowing but we need to do more.
“I have already taken action to tighten the number of dependants that students can bring when they come to study here.”
He added: “As we need to do more, we’ll look at that and where there are abuses of the system we will of course act.
“The levels do need to come down, they are too high.”
Speaking to Times Radio earlier, Housing Secretary Michael Gove conceded the UK does not have the number of homes to match the demand from migrants.
“In fact, I think actually the situation is, if anything, worse than you depict,” he said.
“It is the case that the migratory flows put more pressure on housing, but we haven’t built enough homes overall for generations.
“This Government is going to hit its target of a million new homes in this Parliament, but we do need to go further. And earlier this year, I outlined a long-term plan for housing, which will allow us to build more homes, particularly making effective use of brownfield land.”
With record net migration of 745,000 in 2022, the Government would need to increase housebuilding massively and significantly reduce immigration to meet the challenge, he said.
“I think we need to do both,” he said.
It follows claims made in a scathing attack by Mrs Braverman that the PM agreed to a number of policy priorities as part of a secret pact in exchange for her backing during his leadership bid.
The Telegraph reported that they included a commitment to raise the salary threshold for foreign workers, which is currently set at £26,200 for a skilled worker visa although roles on the shortage occupation list can be offered at £20,960.
Downing Street earlier this month rejected the former home secretary’s “characterisation” of a secret pact allegedly being reached, but did confirm the pair had been discussing policy prior to her appointment.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick is understood to have worked up a plan designed to appease calls from right-wing Tories for the Government to take action.
Labour has sought to win over voters dissatisfied with the Tory record, with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper telling the Sunday Times her party would increase salary requirements for workers coming from overseas.
The Labour MP said her party would change current rules that allow employers to pay migrant workers 20% less than the annual salary threshold of £26,200 for roles on the shortage occupation list.
Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones signalled that Labour sees a “normal level” of migration at a “couple of hundred thousand a year”.
Meanwhile, the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel topped 28,000 for the year so far after 364 people in eight boats made the journey on Sunday. This is only the second time in almost a fortnight that arrivals have been recorded.
