This blog has already featured pledges by Labour and the Conservatives on immigration.  Now that the General Election is just a few days away, what are the smaller parties saying in their manifestos?

Liberal Democrats 

What are the key policies the Liberal Democrats are pledging in their manifesto?

  • Ending the Conservatives’ Hostile Environment and investing in officers, training and technology to tackle smuggling, trafficking and modern slavery,
  • Transferring policy-making on work visas and overseas students from the Home Office into other departments, 
  • Scrapping the Conservatives’ Illegal Migration Act and Rwanda Scheme, upholding the Refugee Convention and providing safe and legal routes for refugees, 
  • Tackling the asylum backlog by establishing a dedicated unit to improving the speed and quality of asylum decision-making, introducing a service standard of three months for asylums claims to be processed and speeding up returns of those without right to stay,
  • Lifting ban on asylum seekers working if they have been waiting for over three months for a decision, 
  • Work closely with Europol and the French authorities to stop the smuggling and trafficking gangs behind dangerous Channel crossings.

To read more of the Liberal Democrats manifesto, please see: https://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto

Reform UK

As a part of Reform UK’s core pledges, ‘Imagine Smart Immigration, Not Mass Immigration’ and ‘Imagine No More Small Boats in the Channel’ are key issues for the party. Within the first 100 days of parliament, the party proposes these critical reforms;

  • Freezing non-essential immigration, with essential skills like healthcare being the only exception,
  • Stopping the boats with a 4 point plan; Leave the European Convention on Human Rights. Zero illegal immigrants to be resettled in the UK. New Department of Immigration. Pick up illegal migrants out of boats and take them back to France,
  • Securing detention for all Illegal Migrants, with those entering from a safe country being barred from claiming asylum or citizenship and no legal aid for non-citizens,
  • Immediate deportation for foreign criminals following end of their prison sentence and withdrawn citizenship from immigrants who commit a crime,
  • Bar student dependents by introducing new visa rules for international students that bar dependents,
  • Stopping “health tourism” and immediate access to benefits, with a 5 year residency and employment requirement to claim any benefits in the UK,
  • Employer immigration tax, with National Insurance rates raising to 20% for foreign workers.

To read more of Reform UK’s manifesto, please see: https://www.reformparty.uk/policies

Green Party

Within the Green Party’s pledges on immigration, an overall campaign for a system of asylum and humanitarian protection that treats the applicant fairly, humanely and without discrimination is central to their pledges. The party pledges to push for;

  • The UK working with other countries to establish safe routes for those fleeing persecution, war, or climate disaster to arrive in the country of their choice to make their case,
  • A fast and fair process to assess asylum applications and for those seeking asylum and protection to be permitted to work whilst their application is decided,
  • Campaigning to abolish the No Recourse to Public Funds condition and the ten-year route to settlement,
  • Ending immigration detention for all migrants unless they are a danger to public safety,
  • Ending the minimum income requirements for spouses of those holding work visas and giving all visa-holding residents the right to vote in all elections and referendums,
  • A simplified visa application system and free access to the NHS for migrants with visas,
  • Allowing migrants, including students, to bring family members to the UK who would normally live with them in their country of origin,
  • Creating a new Department of Migration alongside a Department of Justice,
  • In order to help migration and mitigate climate breakdown, increasing the overseas aid budget and supporting lower-income countries to deal with the climate crisis.

To read more of the Green Party’s manifesto, please see: https://greenparty.org.uk/about/our-manifesto/2024-manifesto-downloads/

SNP

In the Scottish National Party’s key pledges, both devolved powers to create a bespoke migration system for Scotland and scrapping the Rwanda scheme are key issues to the party. As well as this, the party pledges to;

  • Introduce a rural visa pilot scheme, with the pilot mitigating against labour shortages resulting from a hard Brexit and “hostile” immigration policies,
  • Mitigating the harm of Brexit on productivity by reviewing immigration rules and expanding shortage occupation lists.

To read more of the SNP’s manifesto, please see: https://www.snp.org/manifesto/

Plaid Cymru

With Plaid Cymru strongly opposing the Conservative government’s proposals and attitudes towards asylum seekers and refugees, they offer alternative pledges, including;

  • Creating an online programme showing an indicator of a likely outcome for an asylum application,
  • Supporting a family reunification scheme for those caught up within the conflict in Gaza, with a clear right to return to their homeland when possible to do so,
  • Effectively managing the asylum process with processing taking place prior to reaching the UK, within a third country or at a British embassy or consulates abroad,
  • Opposing the Conservative proposals to increase the skilled worker and family visa threshold and fee increases and supporting the Migration Advisory Committees’ recommendation that the graduate route visa be retained,
  • Supporting the repeal of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the UK remaining a member of the European Court of Human Rights,
  • Ending of the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ clause and restrictions on employment while awaiting asylum decisions,
  • Having greater power over migration, including the ability to determine their own Shortage Occupation List and granting the Welsh Government the ability to manage its own visa schemes.

To read more of Plaid Cymru’s manifesto, please see: https://www.partyof.wales/manifesto

The smaller parties offer a range of policy ideas on immigration, giving voters a range of choice on this issues. However, the biggest impact on an election is your vote and ensuring that you have correct voter ID when voting. Please see https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need to check you have valid ID to use on election day.

By Ella Weatherburn