Let more workers in to ease staff shortages, says government adviser

Migration Advisory Committee chairman warns rules may need to be relaxed to help firms recruit workers they need to keep operating

Immigration rules will need to be temporarily relaxed if widespread labour shortages persist, according to the Government’s official migration adviser.

Prof Brian Bell, chair of the Migration Advisory Committee, said more sectors may need to be added to the list that provides certain businesses easier access to migrant workers. 

However, he warned that firms need to fight to lure staff and said the immigration system should not “bail you out” if businesses fail to make roles more attractive to UK workers.

Britain’s new points-based immigration system has tightened rules for workers coming from the EU but the shake-up has coincided with staff shortages for many sectors during the reopening.

The committee will next advise the Government on the shortages list at the end of the year.

Prof Bell, an economist at King’s College London, said: “The intention of the shortage occupation list is for it to be dynamic, and to respond to shortages as they emerge.

“Are we convinced that those sectors have been trying their best to recruit UK workers and put in new training programmes?

“If we are convinced, and we recognise that it takes time for that to bear fruit, then that’s a good argument for saying well there’s a temporary solution, we can allow more immigration through the shortage occupation list.”

Strong reopening demand, the furlough scheme and an exodus of many European workers during the pandemic have combined to cause shortages after the end of freedom of movement. 

Many hospitality businesses have faced major shortages this summer with surveys suggesting that staff scarcity is at its worst since the late 1990s.

The Migration Advisory Committee is the Government’s official and independent adviser on immigration. It advises ministers to put certain occupations on the shortages list in order to ease recruitment problems.

However, Prof Bell said that some industries have not prepared enough for changes to immigration after Brexit.

“It must have been clear that whatever immigration system we were going to have, it was going to be less open than freedom of movement,” he said.

“It seems to me that some sectors at least I’m not convinced they’ve actually put enough effort into recruiting and retaining UK resident workers to actually do these jobs.”

He stressed that adding occupations to the shortages list must be a temporary solution as businesses work to address the problem.

On launching the new Australia-style points system, ministers said they wanted to shift the economy “away from a reliance on cheap labour from Europe” to force firms to invest in technology and automation.

Workers need 70 points to apply to move to the UK and EU and non-EU residents are treated equally. Roles in shortage-hit sectors, job offers, salaries above £25,600 a year and PhDs in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects are looked on favourably and score 20 points each. That would shut out foreign workers in many low-skilled sectors.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The British people repeatedly voted to end free movement and take back control of our immigration system, which is precisely what we have delivered.

“Our new system is straightforward and effective. It rightly prioritises the skills we have, whilst attracting the brightest and best international talent our economy needs to grow. As recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee we will review the shortage of occupation list on an annual basis but have no plans to introduce a visa route for jobs below this threshold.

“Companies need to invest in our domestic workforce instead of relying on cheap labour from abroad. This is the most effective way to ensure we have a thriving economy.”

License this content