Sunak also said he was essentially opposed to any moves towards using identity cards to stop people working illegally in the UK after Labor revived the prospect. Sunak’s commitment to reduce immigration comes despite growing numbers of people crossing the Channel and pressure for a trade deal with India to include an increase in the number of visas granted. The prime minister was non-committal about the refugee cap but said it would be time to “have a conversation” about refugee numbers once progress was made on the small boats. On Monday, Sunak announced a €72m deal with France to conduct joint patrols in the English Channel for the first time, as well as a 40% increase in joint efforts. The prime minister said he believed reducing illegal immigration was voters’ “absolute priority” and that would remain his focus, rather than cracking down on work permits or student numbers. But despite the extraordinary recruitment challenges facing many UK industries, including manufacturing, care and hospitality, Sunak said he would still like to see overall numbers fall and said he was committed to his summer leadership campaign promise to cap on the number of refugees the UK would accept. In practice, this could mean a law change that results in refugees being removed to dangerous countries where they may be at risk once the cap is reached. Speaking at the G20 summit in Bali, Sunak said he would only take action to tackle the issue once progress had been made in tackling arrivals to the UK without legal permits. “I think the first thing we need to do is make sure we can stop a lot of people coming here illegally,” he said. “Such a discussion can only happen after we have taken all the necessary steps to have proper control of our borders so that there are not large numbers of people coming here illegally. And that’s the priority, that’s the focus.” However, he said he would still like to see a cap on the number of refugees the UK accepts from third countries. “Once we do that, then obviously we can have a discussion about what is the right number of people that we can shelter and shelter with safety and sustainable development,” he said. “Now that’s something we’ve always done. It is something we should all be very proud of. And we’ve seen that recently with Ukraine and Syria, with Afghanistan, with Hong Kong,” Sunak said, referring to plans that allowed for the sponsorship of specific nationalities fleeing war and persecution. However, the prime minister said he was not convinced by the use of identity cards. The issue was reignited by Labour’s shadow immigration secretary, Stephen Kinnock, who said it would help “reassure the public that we are in control of our borders”, although shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper distanced herself from the proposals. Sunak said he was opposed in ideological and practical terms. “I don’t think that’s the right way to solve this problem,” he said, saying the current e-visa system acted as “a form of digital identity that can be controlled by those who need to control it … I think 98% of all of people already have some form of photo ID in the UK.’ He added: “I also think we’ve had a long debate in this country about the civil liberties aspect of ID cards, so I think the Labor Party themselves have probably, within 24 hours, changed their minds about it. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “We have these other ways to verify the identity of the people we want to verify, without having to resort to ID cards, and we’ve tightened the penalties on the enforcement side.” Sunak said the new deal with the French to prevent small boat crossings would mean the UK could start thinking more broadly about its future approach to immigration – but said ultimately the aim was to reduce numbers. “I want to reduce immigration over time,” he said. “But I think the most pressing priority for us, and the British people, is to tackle illegal immigration and small boats. And that’s what I spend most of my time on.” The Conservatives’ 2019 manifesto promised to reduce immigration “across the board” without committing to a specific timetable. The home secretary, Suella Braverman, had fallen out with Sunak’s predecessor, Liz Truss, over plans to significantly ease work permits in various sectors as a way to fuel economic growth. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “It is vital that the Government remains committed to the principles behind the UN convention, of which the UK was a founding member, and ensures that asylum is granted to every person seeking asylum in the UK. a fair hearing on UK soil. “Three-quarters of those arriving and seeking asylum are granted refugee protection, which shows that the men, women and children crossing the Channel are not all economic migrants, but have fled war and violence. “Instead of setting a quota for people seeking refugee protection, the government should work with other nations to share responsibility for what is a global challenge. This should include an ambitious target to expand safe routes, such as family reunification and UN resettlement programmes, so that people do not have to make dangerous journeys to reach the UK.”
