6th December 2023 – (London) The British government recently announced stringent new immigration rules that it says will reduce authorised immigration by hundreds of thousands each year. The moves have raised concerns that they will leave already overburdened sectors like health and social care at a breaking point.
Under the new regulations, prospective immigrants will need to earn more to qualify for skilled worker visas and will find it harder to bring family members to the U.K. Home Secretary James Cleverly stated the action was necessary to curb immigration, which hit a record high of almost 750,000 people in 2022. Critics contend the measures will exacerbate staffing shortfalls in key areas like nursing and caregiving where migrants make up a significant share of the workforce.
From spring 2024, skilled worker visa applicants will need to earn £38,700 ($48,900), up from £26,200 ($33,000) currently. British citizens seeking to bring a foreign spouse to the country will face the same threshold, almost double what is required today. Health and social care, industries heavily dependent on migrant labour, are exempt from the salary rule. However, care workers from overseas will no longer be able to bring dependent relatives with them to Britain, raising concerns in the sector that fewer will want to come.
The government will also scrap a rule that lets employers pay immigrant workers 20% less than U.K. citizens in occupations on the “shortage occupation list.” Starting in January, most foreign graduate students will likewise no longer be able to bring family members to the U.K.
Cleverly stated the new measures would reduce by 300,000 the number of people eligible to move to Britain in future years.
Revised figures published last month by the Office for National Statistics said net migration to the U.K. — the number arriving minus those leaving — hit a record 745,000 in 2022. Net migration in the 12 months to June 2023 decreased to 672,000.
As of September, 335,447 work visas were granted to immigrants, a 35% year-over-year surge, while 250,297 grants were provided to dependants of individuals approved for a work visa.
Under the new plan, immigrants working in health and social care are exempt from the new salary threshold but will no longer be allowed to bring in relatives classified as dependents, a restriction that will also apply to foreign graduate students.
The Conservative government believes reducing immigration will bolster support ahead of an election next year, as many voters see migrants as adding pressure on already overstretched public services and exacerbating the housing crisis.
However, many economists contend immigrants are essential to fill critical jobs, especially in health care and lower-paid caregiving roles, and that they contribute more to the economy than they receive.
The government is also under pressure to meet its own goal of stopping unauthorized asylum seekers arriving on small boats across the English Channel. Last month the U.K. Supreme Court ruled its plan to send some arrivals on a one-way trip to Rwanda – intended to deter others from making the risky sea crossing – was unlawful because Rwanda is not a safe country for refugees. The government has said it will strike a new agreement with Rwanda to address the court’s concerns. Cleverly is expected to fly to Kigali this week to finalize the deal. Britain has already paid the East African nation at least £140 million under the agreement struck in April 2022, but no one has been sent there yet.
Meanwhile, two years since the UK introduced BN(O) visas for Hong Kongers, many migrants face mounting struggles. While some thrive in their new home, others report financial and mental health troubles in an unfamiliar land. Renewing passports also poses dilemmas, given security fears. Support measures exist but lack awareness, amid UK ambivalence.
Admittedly some expected quick success abroad. However, complex transitions inevitably take time. And trauma from protest crackdowns lingers, challenging resettlement. Many also arrived desperately without resources, underestimating costs. Their plight demands compassion.
BN(O) holders unsure about passport renewal deserve options like travel documents. Forcing diplomatic visits traumatizes vulnerable people. Meanwhile the UK should expand public assistance programs and actively encourage applications. Letting migrants silently suffer is negligent and fuels instability.
Schools must also better support migrant students struggling with adjustment issues. And health services require sufficient mental health funding to aid traumatised arrivals, alongside anti-stigma efforts. Employers too must recognize foreign credentials and skills.
Above all, political demonisation of migrants must cease. Migrant communities enrich British society immensely. Portraying them as burdens or threats for partisan advantage is unconscionable. Their humanity and rights merit respect, not disparaged.
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