Welsh Secretary David Davies has stated that he is "pragmatic" about the number of immigrants allowed into the country and does not mind "highly-skilled people who've got something to

contribute coming to Britain." Davies acknowledged the expected net migration of 245,000 people per year from 2026, but Home Secretary Suella Braverman wants to reduce net migration to below 100,000. The UK government launched a post-Brexit points-based immigration system at the end of 2020, covering EU and non-EU migrants. In the year ending June 2022, net migration stood at just over 500,000, the highest figure ever recorded.

Davies stated in an interview with BBC Politics Wales that he is comfortable with skilled individuals entering the country to work in areas where there is a shortage, such as doctors and construction workers. However, he expressed discomfort with individuals paying money to people smugglers to enter the country without any restrictions, putting themselves at risk. Davies also stated that he is pragmatic about reducing net migration to the tens of thousands, as long as highly-skilled individuals are not discouraged from coming to the UK.

Meanwhile, the UK government has faced calls to provide greater rail funding to Wales as a result of the HS2 high-speed rail line. The Welsh government does not receive a proportionate amount of money as the project is classified as an England and Wales project by Westminster. UK government officials estimate that HS2 will have an overall negative impact on Wales. Officials in Westminster argue that the proposed Birmingham to Crewe leg of HS2 would benefit passengers in north Wales, despite a two-year delay in the project.

The Welsh government and opposition parties in the Senedd have called for extra HS2 rail funding for Wales, but UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer refused to commit to making the change if in power in Westminster. Welsh government Finance Minister Rebecca Evans told Politics Wales she would continue "to press our colleagues in the UK Labour party on HS2". Starmer also refused to make spending promises on the Welsh NHS ahead of the next general election, but Evans expressed confidence that "excellent ideas in terms of tax and spending" would be provided.

On the issue of TikTok, Davies said he was "stumped" over whether he should continue using it. He recognized its usefulness in communicating with younger voters but acknowledged the UK government's security concerns. Ministers in Westminster and their counterparts in the Senedd have been banned from using TikTok on work phones due to fears that data could be accessed by the Chinese government. Davies stated that he would seek advice on the matter to balance the usefulness of TikTok in engaging with younger voters with the government's security concerns.

Overall, Davies expressed a pragmatic approach to immigration, acknowledging the importance of skilled individuals entering the UK while also emphasizing the need for border control. He also addressed issues related to rail funding in Wales and the use of social media platforms like TikTok. Photo by Richard Townshend, Wikimedia commons.