Crawley MP, Henry Smith, has welcomed news that net migration into the United Kingdom is down by almost a third since the general election, which is the result of tough reforms pushed through by the Conservatives. Official statistics show that net immigration into the UK in the year ending June 2012 was 163,000; this is down significantly from 235,000 in the year ending June 2010.

The number of visas issued also fell by 10 per cent to the lowest level since 2005, indicating that the downward trend in net migration is sent to continue.

Commenting, Henry said:

“After years of uncontrolled immigration under Labour, Crawley residents have made it clear that they want an immigration system they can trust. The Conservatives are pushing through much-needed reforms which are bringing immigration back under control. These latest statistics show that work is paying off with another significant fall in net migration. It’s down almost a third since the election – and the latest visa statistics indicate that this trend is set to continue. 

“Immigration is still too high but the numbers are going in the right direction and the Conservatives are determined to bring them down further.

“As part of this shift in the UK’s immigration policy, the Prime Minister is reviewing access to housing, healthcare and the benefits system for foreign nationals to ensure that the UK is not a soft touch.  Across the board cuts to benefits for non-UK residents are expected to be announced before the Queen's Speech in May, with local families also prioritised for council housing lists. 

“For my part, I have introduced a Petition calling on Parliament to provide a legal requirement on health care facilities to recover funds from overseas nationals seeking treatment on our NHS.”

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