Visa requirements for skilled workers in IT, telecommunications and engineering to come to the UK could be tightened up, Home Minister Yvette Cooper has signalled. Changes could include raising the minimum salary threshold for overseas workers in these sectors to obtain a visa to take up a UK job. They could also see restrictions based on regions of Britain, where salary levels and labour force shortages vary.
The Cabinet minister has written to the Government’s migration advisors to ask for a series of reviews on different groups of overseas workers coming to the UK to fill shortages in the labour market. She wants the migration advisory committee (MAC) to “look at key occupations to understand the reasons behind their reliance on international recruitment.” In her letter to its chairman, Professor Brian Bell, Ms Cooper said: “Based in a preliminary look at indicators to inform assessments of reliance on international recruitment, as well as occupational groups which are the largest users of work visas, we have identified the following for this review: information technology and telecommunications professionals, engineering professionals.
“These sectors feature in the top 10 of those sectors which have been reliant on international recruitment and the Government would like the MAC to set out the reasons behind this and potential future demand on these sectors. We envisage this being the first of such reviews by the MAC as we seek to further understand the reliance on international workers in key sectors.” The migration advisers were urged to consider several areas including: (1) What types of roles are in shortage. (2) What are the different drivers of these shortages including training, pay and conditions. (3) How have the sectors sought to adapt to these shortages, beyond seeking to recruit from overseas. (4) Where relevant, what, if any, impact has been on the shortage occupation list on these sectors/occupations.” They were also urged to examine what policy levers within the immigration system could be used more effectively to encourage sectors to focus on recruiting from the domestic workforce, including whether the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers in these sectors should be increased.
Cooper added: “It is open to the MAC to consider a wide range of different options, including the merits or otherwise of a differentiated approach, based on region, occupation and/or other factors. These must be balanced against the risks of undercutting the wages of British workers and of over-complicating the system.” The minister asked for this first review to report within the next nine months and stressed the Government’s aim was to bring down “high levels of migration”.
She added: “We recognise and remain very grateful for the contribution that people from all over the world make to our economy and our public services but the system needs to be managed and controlled. The current approach is not sustainable.” Immigration and racism are often linked although that should never be the case. A spate of recent riots in the UK have again highlighted this. Furthermore, a record high of almost 2,000 antisemitic incidents took place in the UK in the first half of this year, a charity has said. The Community Security Trust (CST) said the 1,978 incidents from January to June this year are double the number for the same period last year (964) and the highest total reported in the first six months of any year.
Home minister Yvette Cooper branded the levels of hate “truly appalling”. She said: “There is no place in Britain for this vile hatred and we are absolutely clear that those who push this poison – on the streets or online – must always face the full force of the law.” (The writer is our foreign correspondent based in the UK)
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