UK Government Consultation on the Appropriate Level for Annual Economic Migration to the EU
THE UK GOVERNMENT’S CONSULTATION
On 28 June 2010, the British Government launched a consultation on how to implement limits on economic migration by nationals of countries outside the European Union, entitled “Limits on non-EU Migration”.
Commenting on the Consultation, The Home Secretary, Theresa May said that the government intended to reduce net migration to the level of the 1990s- tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands. One of the ways this will be achieved is through the introduction of an annual limit on the number of non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK to live and work. The Government recognise that there is a careful balance to be struck between attracting the brightest and the best from around the world who can make a real difference to the country’s economic growth, while not bringing in migrants who are not needed. This is why they have committed to consult with business and other interested sectors before taking final decisions on the implementation mechanism for these limits and the level at which they should be set.
On 21 July, BritishAmerican Business held a briefing for our members in London at which a specialist in economic migration at the UK Border Agency outlined the issues the consultation process would be addressing, which would most impact on business. Effectively the key issues for our members are how limitations on Tier 1 (Highly Skilled Applicants) and Tier 2 (skilled workers with a job offer) will operate in practice and how best to make these limitations work in practice. In particular it was stressed that the Government are considering the option of counting intra-company transfers (ICT) towards Tier 2 Limits, but that transferees entering for less than 12 months should be exempted from the limit.
What was made abundantly clear that it was vital that businesses likely to be affected by these new limitations should engage and respond to the consultation either on line or through the submission of written evidence.
RESPONDING TO THE CONSULTATION
There are two ways of responding to the Consultation. It is open to you to respond either to the UK Border Agency or the Migration Advisory Committee, or both. It is important to note that both organisations are asking different questions and have set different deadlines for responses, as set out below.
The first is either by making your views clear to the UK Border Agency on line at : limitsconsultation@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or in writing to the Agency. Both the postal address to respond to, and the broad issues of the consultation, and 13 questions on which they would like responses are to be found on the UK Border Agency website. All replies to them must be submitted by 17 September 2010.
The second is again by making your views clear to the Migration Advisory Committee on the specific issues affecting limits to be set in 2011/2012, on line at : www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/mac. or in writing to the Migration Advisory Committee. Both the postal address to respond to , and 10 questions on which they would like responses are to be found on the Migration Advisory Committee website. All replies to them must be submitted by 7 September 2010.
BRITISHAMERICAN BUSINESS’S POSITION
One of our key and consistent objectives is to protect and promote the ability of our member companies to bring into the UK the highly skilled workers they need in order to grow their business, either as intra-company transfers or as highly skilled, and necessary, additions to their operations in the UK, and so to oppose any measures that impede this flexibility. We believe this is also critical if the UK is to retain its position as an attractive destination for inward investment. We have represented our members views to the Migration Advisory Committee successfully before when the Points Based System was introduced last year, and we shall making direct representations to the Home Secretary on this occasion. But in order to fully understand the concerns you have with the proposals as they stand we would be grateful if you could either copy us into the responses you make either to the UK Border Agency or the Migration Advisory Committee, or send us your views separately, in either case to Sarah Scurr (sscurr@babinc.org)., no later than 16 August please, when we shall be finalising our own representations.
