This MAC is a hard one to swallow

Jo Faragher

Many, many employers in the UK – not least the NHS – rely heavily on skilled migrant workers to help them achieve their goals.

So it was a tough pill to swallow last week when the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended introducing an Immigration Skills Charge for employers and tightening the routes for hiring priority specialist staff.

The MAC also proposes raising the overall minimum salary threshold from the current £20,800 to £30,000 in order to restrict volumes of Tier 2 migrants who have been offered a skilled job in the UK and are from outside the European Economic Area.

They say that the measures will incentivise employers to reduce their reliance on migrant workers and encourage them to invest in training UK employees.

But is it really that simple? If you’re trying to staff a busy accident and emergency department, getting the right balance of skills on shift and quantity of those skills available is a challenge in itself, without putting barriers like this in the way.

Simply getting enough UK employees qualified and experienced enough to perform at the same level would take years – and most employers (not just hospitals) do not have the luxury of time.

As the CBI points out, the MAC’s recommendations could “hold back firms’ ability to grow and create jobs”, which might have a negative impact on exports. Tom Hadley of the REC has also criticised the suggestions, saying they will be “limiting access to workers at a time of record employment in the UK”.

Jonathan Beech, managing director of Migrate UK, a law firm specialising in immigration law, believes the recommendations are “short sighted”.

He says: “I would advise companies that rely on non-EU workers, that they should advertise jobs locally and submit sponsorship applications soon before changes are enforced on 6th April. Licence renewals are expected to be more complex so forecasting vacancies and planning financially can help for applications, should skills not be found within the UK.”

Companies will also have to tighten up their record keeping as checks will be on the rise, adds Beech. At a time when certain industries desperately need skills that the UK talent pool cannot deliver, it will be frustrating for employers to encounter yet more red tape.