Conservative MP calls for greater investment in technology to reduce reliance on low-paid migrant workers, highlighting automation as a means to increase efficiency and reduce net migration.
According to Conservative MP Chris Philp, companies should adopt more automation technologies instead of hiring low-paid migrant workers. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Philp highlighted the need for increased use of robots and automated systems in industry to reduce net migration rates in Britain.
“Other countries are using much more automation for tasks like picking fruits and vegetables, rather than simply importing a lot of low-paid migrant labor,” Philp said. He pointed to examples such as Australia and New Zealand, where robotic fruit and vegetable picking equipment is being implemented. He also noted that South Korea uses nine times as many robots in manufacturing processes than Britain.
“In America they use much more modular construction, which is much faster and much more efficient,” he added. “There is a lot that British industry can do to grow without having to import large numbers of low-paid migrants.”
At a recent press conference, leading Conservative figures acknowledged past shortcomings on immigration policy. Kemi Badenoch, a leading Conservative MP, promised a review of “every policy, every treaty and part of our legal framework”, including the role of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Human Rights Act.
While Badenoch committed to a “strict numerical limit” on migration and said the Conservatives would “explain how you get those numbers,” she did not pledge to restore the Rwanda plan that was previously scrapped. However, Philp called for the plan to be reinstated, stating that it was “canceled before it even started.”
When asked about reports that ministers had considered using a giant wave machine to discourage Channel crossings, Philp said: “I don’t remember ever seriously looking at that idea. I can’t remember if anyone else did.”
Philp declined to specify a figure for the proposed migration cap, but suggested net migration figures of 350,000 would be “far too high”. He stressed the importance of determining “exactly how many highly skilled, highly paid people we need,” and addressing concerns about the use of training “as a kind of parallel migration system.”
He added that the Conservative Party would investigate migrants’ eligibility for benefits, among other measures to reduce net migration.