The rejoin movement has been slapped down by a Government minister, after suggesting Rishi Sunak is playing into their hands with the current migrant crisis.
Dr Mike Gallsworthy, Chair of the European Movement UK, told GB News that the current spiralling migrant crisis will “absolutely” cause people to turn their backs on Brexit, making it more likely for them to want to rejoin.
Blasting pro-Brexit politicians, he said: “It’s just proven, in one fell swoop that these Brexiteers can run their mouths, but not a country.
“They promised simple solutions to complex problems- and ended up slagging off immigrants whilst at the same time begging non-EU immigrants in record numbers to fill key places in our NHS and social care that EU workers were deserting.
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“Of course we are better off inside the EU with stable, mutual rights on work and travel, together tackling the challenges of immigration from outside the EU.”
But hitting back, a pro-Brexit Government minister told GB News: “It’s just typical! They’ve always thought its about immigration and it never really was.
“It has always been about being in control of our own destiny.”
They added: “They need to adjust the parameters of who we allow to come here, if they want to bring the numbers down. But we have the ability to do that now.
“These rejoiners, they are absolutely kidding themselves – the EU wouldn’t have us back.
“It’s not about immigration its about controlling our own destiny.”
On Thursday, new figures revelaed that net migration soared to a record 745,000 last year.
While the figures were previously estimated to be around 606,000 in the year ending December 2022, the ONS updated their estimates in figures published today.
net migration to the year June 2023 at 672,000, up by 65,000 compared to the previous 12 months, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Comparing this year’s figures with those published for the year ending December 2022, the ONS said: “While it is too early to say if this is the start of a new downward trend, these more recent estimates indicate a slowing of immigration coupled with increasing emigration.”
It blames the increase in overall net migration on non-EU national, which has increased from 179,000 in June 2019 to 768,000 in June 2023.
The ONS explained: “This overall change across the time period is because of increased numbers of people arriving for work, to study and for humanitarian reasons.”
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Health and care workers and their dependents make up a large proportion of those coming to the UK, with 154,000 health and care visas granted. This is nearly double the previous year at 86,000.
The Conservative Party under David Cameron was elected in 2010 on a manifesto pledge to bring net migration down to below 100,000.
