UK’s New Measures to Curb Immigration: Impact on Foreign Workers

 

In a bid to reduce immigration numbers, the UK government has introduced new measures that affect foreign workers, particularly those in the care sector. 

The environment secretary, Steve Barclay, announced that the home secretary, James Cleverly, is considering restrictions on the number of dependants that foreign care workers can bring into the UK. 

This move comes after proposals from the immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, suggested that workers could be banned from bringing dependants or limited to bringing only one relative with them.

The government’s decision to potentially limit the number of dependants is part of a broader strategy to bring down immigration figures. 

Previously, around 150,000 student dependents were allowed, but this route has been closed. The focus is now shifting to the care sector, where most foreign workers hail from countries like Nigeria, India, and Zimbabwe. 

Since care workers were added to the shortage occupation list, non-EU care workers (excluding the UK) make up 14% of the workforce in England, with an additional 7% coming from the EU.

The so-called New Conservatives, a group of Tory MPs, are pressuring Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to further reduce immigration, including a significant cut in the number of health and social care workers. 

They aim to reduce net migration from 606,000 last year to below 226,000 by the next election. Part of their 12-point program to achieve this includes closing a scheme that allows care workers and senior care workers to be eligible for visas, despite the sector facing 165,000 unfilled vacancies in the last year.

Labor, on the other hand, proposes to force employers to recruit British staff by barring them from hiring foreign workers below the market rate for pay. 

They plan to scrap rules that allow companies to pay foreigners 20% less than the going rate in roles deemed to have a shortage of workers.

These policy changes reflect the government’s commitment to reducing immigration numbers and encouraging the employment of British workers in the care sector. 

However, they also raise concerns about the potential impact on the quality of care and the ability of the sector to fill vacancies, given the already significant number of unfilled positions.

The debate on immigration and foreign worker incentives continues to be a contentious issue in the UK, with various stakeholders weighing in on the potential consequences of these new measures.

As the government moves forward with its plans, it will be crucial to monitor the effects on the care sector and the broader implications for the UK’s workforce and economy.