Morgan rejects 'divisive language' on immigration

Eluned Morgan has said she would not use "divisive language" on immigration and declined to endorse the prime minister's warning about the UK becoming an "island of strangers".

Wales' first minister said proposals outlined by Sir Keir Starmer on Monday could pose "challenges" for social care services if they can no longer recruit overseas workers.

She said "Wales is a welcoming nation" and that overseas workers made a "vast contribution" to public services.

At question time in the Welsh Parliament, Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar asked if the first minister thought immigration was too high and whether she agreed with Sir Keir's warning.

"I will not be drawn into a debate where people are using divisive language when it comes to immigration," Morgan said.

A spokesperson for the first minister said her comments were aimed at other parties, not the prime minister.

The first minister said 38% of medical consultants were from overseas, adding: "You are more likely to be treated by a doctor from overseas than being stopped in the queue by somebody from overseas in Wales."

The Welsh government would have to "work through" the implications of the immigration White Paper published by the UK government, she said.

A visa for social care workers will close to new applicants next month. Visa extensions will be permitted until 2028.

The first minister said: "I am extremely concerned about our ability to recruit to the care sector as it is at the moment and people need to recognise that there is a direct knock-on effect on hospital waits and how long people have to wait in emergency departments because of the fragility of the care sector."

She claimed social care had fared better in Wales than England, "but it is under strain and I think it's important for us to recognise that there will be challenges as a result of these proposals".

Mr Millar, who called for a cap on immigration, said later that Morgan had "tied herself in knots over Welsh Labour's response to the UK government's supposed immigration crackdown".

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said Sir Keir had "undermined" the role of foreign care workers and asked the first minister to "distance herself from that language of division that has been repeated so comfortably today by the leader of the Conservatives".

The first minister said: "I'm not going to use divisive language when it comes to immigration.

"That is not the value that we have in Welsh Labour."

One of her cabinet members, Counsel General Julie James, said the first minister was "very straightforward in answering questions earlier in Tuesday that there is a very big difference between the way we regard immigration here in Wales as a Welsh government – as a Welsh people, I would go so far as to say – and the way that the UK government regards it because of a whole host of reasons that we are very well aware of".

Earlier, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the prime minister's language, which has been criticised by some Labour MPs.

Labour Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said he understood the "context" in which the government had announced its new migration measures, but he would not have used the phrase "island of strangers" himself.

Downing Street said Sir Keir stands by his words and "the argument he was making that migrants make a massive contribution to our country, but migration needs to be controlled".