Under the plan, low-skilled workers would not get visas under post- Brexit immigration rules. The government wants employers would “move away” from relying on “cheap labour” from Europe.
The government wants to introduce a “points-based” immigration system in which, overseas citizens would have to reach 70 points to be able to work in the UK. More points could be awarded for working in a sector with shortages, salary on offer and qualifications.
The salary threshold for skilled workers wanting to come to the UK would be lowered from £30,000 to £25,600. And for people in specific shortage occupations such as nursing, civil engineering, psychology and classical ballet dancing would be as low as £20,480 including those with PhDs relevant to a specific job.
According to health correspondent, Nick Triggle, the immigration plan would be a big problem for adult social care. In this sector there are already significant shortages as one in 11 posts are unfilled and foreign workers make up a sixth of the 840,000-strong care worker workforce in England. Under the new plan some of the staff and applicants will not qualify.
Lower-paid sectors such as farming, catering and nursing are warning that it will be hard to recruit staff under the new system.
The Royal College of Nursing said the proposals would “not meet the health and care needs of the population”.
Labour, shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott said the government did not “appear to have thought through what the effects of this policy will be on the economy as a whole and what message it sends to migrants already living and working here”.
Full story on the BBC, 19 February 2020