Labour falling into same trap as Tories with hostile immigration approach – Carmichael

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has warned that the Labour government is “falling into the same trap that the Tories did” in its rhetoric on immigration, following a new White Paper released today. 

The prime minister unveiled plans to ban recruitment of care workers from overseas, tighten access to skilled worker visas and raise the costs to employers in an effort to curb immigration. 

The government will scrap a visa scheme that allows firms to hire health and social care workers from overseas. The Immigration Skills Charge will increase by 32%, leading smaller firms to pay up to £2,400 to sponsor workers to come to the UK, while large firms will pay up to £6,600. Universities could also be hit by higher charges, with the government considering a tax on every international student enrolled in a UK university.

Mr Carmichael said:

“I fear that Labour is falling into the same trap that the Tories did – leaning on hostile rhetoric around immigration and damaging our public services and our economy in the process.

“We should not pander to the far right but instead fix the problems that enable them. If you feed that wolf eventually it will eat you.

“We need a flexible, dynamic legal migration system that works for our country and our economy, while treating everyone with dignity and respect. We should have no truck with the demonisation of desperate people fleeing persecution, war or starvation, nor indeed of those who are on the frontline of our health and social care sectors. The last thing we need is to do more harm to our fragile public services.

“There will always be a need for integration and fair play in our immigration system, but we should not ignore the enormous benefits that immigration has brought to our country. These are our friends and neighbours, people who enrich our cultural fabric and help drive our economy – in the Northern Isles and across the UK.”