Prime Minister Andy Burnham has refused to say whether he thinks migration levels are too high, despite suggesting migrant workers were needed to fill "gaps in the economy" while the UK has 1.7 million people unemployed.
Mr Burnham was questioned about immigration numbers by ITV Tonight for an interview due to air on Tuesday. He said legal migration has "come right down" and argued that with planned migration, it is difficult to label it as too high or too low because it should follow economic needs.
Migration Control Has Improved
The Prime Minister said immigration, both legal and illegal, was "in a much better place than it was," citing reduced boat crossings and significantly lower net migration overall.
Net migration into the UK stood at 171,000 in 2025.
Free Movement Discussion
Mr Burnham, who has called for a discussion about the possibility of returning to free movement with the European Union, added that migration and illegal immigration changed significantly with Brexit and that "we've got to be honest about that."
