The Migration Advice Comittee (MAC) has today released it's much anticipated independent report on post-brexit immigration: A Point's Based System and Salary Thresholds for Immigration. The report responds to the Home Secretary's commission into a points-based system and salary thresholds for immigration and specfically warns that while it's proposals would benefit the UK economy as a whole, it would increase the pressures in social care because of a shortage of low paid workers being able to enter the country
In the report the MAC criticised the UK's current complex immigration system.
When it came to Tier 1 visas or 'excceptional talent visas' - the committee said the rules "set too high a bar for the definition of 'exceptional talent' and is often not a route well-suited for those who satisfy the existing definition". The report suggested increasing the number of points awarded to those with the most desired skill and focus on younger applicants showing promise rather than those already estabilished.
For Tier 2 or 'general visais', the committee said the criteria was too strict to call it a points based system as applicants have to meet every one. However, they recommended keeping the existing framework but lower the salary threshold from £30,000 to £25,600.
The committee believes having a salary threshold is important as it prevents the undercutting of the labour market, ensured migrants made a net positive contribution to the public finances, and made sure migration policy supported the "ambition to make the UK a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy".
The MAC specfically warned that while it's proposals would benefit the UK economy as a whole, it would increase the pressures in social care because of a shortage of low paid workers being able to enter the country. It said the "root of the problem" was a failure of the sector to "offer competitive terms and conditions", which itself was "caused by a failure to have a sustainable funding model".
The Nuffield Trust has been quick to respond to the Migration Advisory Committee’s report on a points-based immigration system and salary thresholds, Nuffield Trust Senior Fellow Natasha Curry said: “The Committee suggests that social care simply needs more funding to adjust to a drop in migration, but at the moment the sector is verging on bankruptcy with no end in sight. The Government needs to consider a special migration route for the sector, as raised in the report, to avoid damage to services that vulnerable people and the NHS depend on.”
You can read further reaction from the Nuffield Trust here.
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