Today I led a Westminster Hall debate which I had secured from the Backbench Business Committee on the impact of the new minimum income requirements for partner and spousal visas. I have been seeking the debate since constituents contacted me following the government’s announcement in December that the annual earnings required to allow a spouse or partner to live in the UK would increase from £18,600 to £38,700.

In my speech I shared the stories that I had heard from constituents on the impact the changes would have on their lives and criticised the unfairness with which UK citizens are being priced out of their right to live in the UK with a foreign partner on the basis of how much they earn, highlighting the jobs that would fall below the threshold – from nurses to police officers.

I pointed out that other countries have better approaches to the issue and that the Migrant Integration Policy Index – which compares countries across Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and others  – ranks the UK as next to the bottom of 56 countries on family reunification and integration.

I called for a root and branch review of the spousal migration rules, considering the unfairness at their heart and the disproportionate impact on so many, and for the planned increases – this year and in 2025 – to be suspended. Although the Minister Tom Pursglove unsurprisingly defended the plans, I was pleased that Labour’s Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock criticised them and promised a review.

You can read my speech here and Stephen Kinnock’s response here and watch my summation of the debate below.