In advance of the next official quarterly figures on net migration, Bright Blue urges the Government to abandon the net migration target in favour of a target on non-EU gross migration, and calls for new tough rules if the Government fails to meet its targets.

Ryan Shorthouse, Director of Bright Blue, said:

    "The Conservative Government needs to develop a strong record of competence on managing our immigration system. That means new, deliverable targets - such as on non-EU gross migration rather than overall net migration - which the public can hold the Government to account on, for example through an Annual Migration Day in parliament. On this day, the Migration Advisory Committee should also publish clear information on the economic and social implications of recent migration.


    If a target is not met, and more migrants are here than expected, then the government should have to increase the amount of money in the Controlling Immigration Fund, so local areas are given the necessary resources to cope with higher levels of migration".