Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Immigration Minister Chris Philp called for greater investment in technology to reduce the UK’s reliance on low-wage migrants. Citing examples from other countries, Philp highlighted the potential for automation and innovation to transform industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.
“In Australia and New Zealand, robotic and automated fruit- and vegetable-picking equipment is being rolled out,” Philp said. “South Korea uses nine times as many robots in manufacturing as we do, and the U.S. is ahead in modular construction. There’s a lot British industry can do to grow without needing to import large numbers of low-wage migrants.”
Tories to Review Immigration Policies
At an unscheduled press conference on Wednesday, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch admitted her party had mishandled immigration. She announced plans for a sweeping review of policies, treaties, and legal frameworks, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Human Rights Act.
Badenoch also pledged to introduce a “strict numerical cap” on migration but did not specify what this would entail. “We’ll explain how you get to those numbers,” she said.
Philp echoed this stance on Thursday, calling net migration figures of 350,000 “much too high” but refrained from setting a target. “We need to do the work properly to understand how many high-skilled, high-wage workers we need,” he said. He also criticized the use of degree courses as a “parallel migration system” and said eligibility for migrants’ benefits would come under review.
Reports of Wave Machines Addressed
Philp dismissed reports that the government had considered using giant wave machines to deter Channel crossings, saying: “I don’t recall ever having seriously looked at that idea. I can’t remember if someone else did.”
The government has faced criticism for its handling of illegal migration, particularly the Rwanda deportation scheme, which Badenoch accused Labour of “cancelling before it even started.”
The Conservatives’ renewed focus on immigration comes amid public concern over net migration levels, with the party promising to detail its approach to achieving stricter controls in the coming months.