Second legal migration statement focuses on digital transformation and the border

Article summary

Immigration analysis: The Home Office has published a new strategy document on Legal Migration and Border Control, as part of its ‘New Plan for Immigration’, which focuses particularly on its digital transformation agenda until 2025. The document updates a previous statement issued in May 2021. Key new announcements include the bringing forward the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme to 2023 (from 2024), the pushing back of the three packages of delivery of the ‘sponsorship roadmap’ by a year (to complete in early 2024 rather than early 2023), confirmation on the dates for ongoing changes to the Family and Settlement routes, and details on intended changes to digitise and streamline management of the border, including identifying ways to deliver a vision of a ‘contactless border’ for British citizens and nationals of ‘trusted international partners’. The document has no new policy announcements in relation to economic immigration, noting that the post-Brexit ‘Points-Based System’ is still being evaluated. This Analysis summarises the...