UK Government Advisers Warn of Human Rights Breaches Over Planned Family Visa Crackdown

Strategic Insights -

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has warned the UK Government that raising the annual salary threshold for family visas could conflict with human rights laws, as part of a plan to slash net migration by 300,000. The proposed change would set the threshold at £38,700, but the MAC has suggested that this would be unlawful under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Instead, it recommends lowering the threshold to between £23,000 and £25,000 to make it easier for family members to come to Britain. The MAC's analysis has been seized upon by the Conservative Party, which has urged the Government to push ahead with the planned changes, despite opposition from Labour and some within the Conservative party. The issue has sparked a split in the Labour Party, with some members supporting the idea of stricter immigration controls.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Migration Advisory Committee has warned that raising the annual salary threshold for family visas to £38,700 would "most likely" conflict with human rights laws, under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
  • The MAC recommends lowering the threshold to between £23,000 and £25,000 to make it easier for family members to come to Britain.
  • The proposed change is part of a plan to slash net migration by 300,000, which the Conservative Party has proposed.
  • The MAC's analysis suggests that even if the threshold was raised to £38,700, the person coming into the UK would still cost other taxpayers money if they didn't work or only worked on low incomes.
  • The issue has sparked a split in the Labour Party, with some members supporting the idea of stricter immigration controls.
  • Reunite Families, a campaign group, has expressed opposition to the proposed changes, citing the "horrendous impact on children" caused by the current immigration rules.
  • The Migration Advisory Committee report states that the income requirements for a couple with no children in most countries were substantially lower than the UK's current minimum income requirement of £29,000.
  • The report also suggests that raising the threshold to £38,700 would put more emphasis on economic wellbeing, rather than family life.
  • The MAC's analysis is based on research into the income requirements for family visas in several countries, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Statistics:

  • Net migration to the UK stood at 906,000 in the year ending June 2023, a record high.
  • The Conservative Party has proposed slashing net migration by 300,000 as part of its plan to control immigration.
  • The proposed family visa threshold of £38,700 is equivalent to the £38,700-a-year salary threshold required for a skilled foreign worker.
  • The MAC's report suggests that the person coming into the UK would still cost other taxpayers money if they didn't work or only worked on low incomes, even if the threshold was raised to £38,700.

Sources:

  • "Tories claim ECHR advice proves need to quit European court" by Charles Hymas, The Telegraph
  • "Migration Advisory Committee report on family visa threshold" (available upon request)
  • "Reunite Families statement on family visa threshold" (available upon request)