Simon Hart MP has welcomed the Prime Minister's commitment to 'get a grip on immigration into our country'.

The Prime Minister argued that Britain should 'attract the brightest and the best', as well as 'foreign investors and entrepreneurs' to come here. He said that Britain had 'been enriched by the contribution of generations of migrants' and would 'always be open to those who are seeking asylum from persecution'.

However David Cameron was concerned that 'excessive immigration brings pressures, real pressures on our communities up and down the country'. He said that tension could result when 'large numbers of people arrive in new neighbourhoods, perhaps not all able to speak the same language as those who live there, perhaps not always wanting to integrate, perhaps seeking simply to take advantage of our NHS'.

Between 1997 and 2009 net migration reached 2.2 million people – that's twice the population of Birmingham. This Coalition Government is taking action to control immigration:

• The Government has capped economic migration from outside the EU.
• The student visa system has been overhauled to tackle abuses.
• The family visa route will now be reformed to ensure that those coming here do not become a burden on the welfare system or on the taxpayer.

Other commitments made:

• The Home Secretary, Theresa May, will change the immigration rules to ensure that the misinterpretation of Article Eight of the ECHR – the right to a family life – no longer prevents the deportation of people who shouldn't be here.
• The Prime Minister promised to tackle forced marriage.
• David Cameron also said the British citizenship test would be rewritten to include questions on British history and culture.
• The Government will break the automatic link between temporary routes and permanent settlement.

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Mr Hart said:

'Under Labour immigration was out control and this put unacceptable pressure on communities and public services.

'This Government has already capped economic migration and overhauled student visas to cut abuses. Our plans to reform the family visa route will help get net migration back down to the sustainable levels in the tens of thousands a year.

'David Cameron's commitment to tackle forced marriage will help protect women from what is tantamount to slavery. And Theresa May will now change the immigration rules to help stop Human Rights laws being abused to prevent deportations of those who shouldn't be here.

'Labour's British citizenship test had questions on the benefit system and Europe but not on our history – it's good this is being put right.'