Immigrants enter Britain in various ways<\/em>
According to May, Britain does not need the level of "net migration" that currently exists, since its contribution to the economy is at best zero. She also announced stricter procedures for processing asylum applications and defended measures that make it more difficult to obtain student visas.
Net migration in the United Kingdom from March 2014 to March 2015 reached a record high of 330,000 people, 28% higher than the previous year.
In an interview with the BBC, Prime Minister David Cameron supported Theresa May, saying he agreed with her and that integrating new arrivals into society is more difficult "with excessive levels of immigration." At the same time, he said he was "extremely proud" that Britain has built "one of the most successful multiracial democracies in the world." However, to achieve a prosperous integrated society, there need to be enough schools and hospitals must not be overcrowded, the prime minister said.
As BBC political correspondent Norman Smith notes, Theresa May's speech was "extremely tough and uncompromising." The Home Secretary noted that refugees should not be confused with economic migrants. "The desire for a better life is completely understandable, but there is a limit to the number of immigrants each country can and should accept," she said.
The minister noted that immigration in some cases has led to lower wages, and some people have even lost their jobs. "But even if we could manage all the consequences of mass immigration, Britain does not need net migration of hundreds of thousands of people each year," Theresa May stated.
Acknowledging that sometimes immigration inflow can fill shortages in certain sectors of the economy, she stated that "not everyone entering Britain at the moment is a qualified electrician, engineer, or doctor."
Regarding student visas, the Home Secretary noted that too many students do not return home after their visas expire. "So I don't care what university lobbyists say: measures must be taken. Students – yes. Those who overstay – no, and universities must deal with this," the minister stated.
She also promised a tougher approach to processing asylum claims, especially from people who came to Britain from safe countries. The very first annual refugee strategy will be published early next year, along with a list of individuals and organizations that can host them.
Ministers acknowledged that they were unable to keep net migration within 100,000 people, pointing to the scale of migration within the European Union itself. According to the latest data for August, net migration in the EU was 183,000, which is 53,000 more than in the previous period ending in March 2014.