Weekly Column
People are rightly concerned immigration is currently too high and is putting unsustainable pressure on housing, schools, GPs, and other services. It is widely recognised levels need to come down and the steps set out by the government this week will help cut net migration and bring it back down to pre-pandemic levels.
In the year to June, net migration was up significantly on pre-pandemic levels although lower than the 745,000 who came in 2022. While the UK can be proud of welcoming people fleeing conflict and persecution in Ukraine, Hong Kong, and Afghanistan, the level of net migration is not sustainable.
One of the measures announced will reform the Health and Social Care Visa. Overseas care workers play a vital role in our NHS and care sector, however there is a need to reduce the rise in the number of dependants coming to the UK – 120,000 in the last year. The Migration Advisory Council has warned of abuse by unscrupulous care agencies, so this route will be limited to care providers regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
The second element is to stop immigration undercutting the salaries of British workers. That means increasing the salary threshold for skilled worker visas to bring it line with the average wage for equivalent jobs. Those coming on health and social care visas will be exempt.
Under the existing system there is also a 20 per cent discount on the going rate for salaries for roles on the shortage occupation list. The government will scrap that discount with some minor exemptions from critical sectors and ask the Migration Advisory Committee to review the rather lengthy list of jobs so that it is better targeted.
These changes should encourage investment in the skills of our domestic workforce while ensuring existing gaps can be filled. Locally we can look at the example of the Town Deal-funded School of Nursing Studies helping to create a pipeline of nursing associates. Through the Department of Work and Pensions there is a focus on helping care, hospitality and other sectors experiencing shortages. This is a sustainable long-term answer to gaps in the labour market.
It is a well-established principle that people should be able to support dependants they bring to the UK, as indeed it is for people from the UK emigrating to other countries. Yet, the current earning threshold has not been increased for over a decade. So the level of income an individual or couple need to get family visas to come to the UK will increase to match the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers.
Many people coming to the UK do so to study at universities. However, last year 153,000 student dependants came with them to the UK as well. In future, overseas students will only be able to bring family members if they are on postgraduate research degrees.
Together this package would have meant around 300,000 fewer people coming to the UK last year. These balanced reforms are about controlling migration and bringing it down towards more sustainable levels, while making sure the NHS and businesses have access to the talent they need.
First published in Lynn News, 8 December 2023
