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New migration cap to hit care sector
24 November 2010
Theresa May has unveiled details of the UK’s first permanent cap
on non-EU foreign nationals entering the UK, which will undoubtedly
have a detrimental impact on the care sector.
The Home Secretary announced yesterday that the number of visas
granted will be cut by a fifth from April 2011. Tier 1 visas will
be capped at just 1,000 and will be limited to only those with
‘exceptional talent’, including entrepreneurs, investors, sports
stars and scientists. Tier 2 visas will rise to 20,700 (an increase
of 7,000) but this will be limited to those with offers of jobs at
graduate level.
Whilst there are exemptions for multi-national companies
transferring its employees to the UK, this will provide little, if
no relief, for the majority in the care sector.
In the last year, 13% of care workers were recruited from
outside the EU. The new cap, however, could result in migrants
being refused entry to the UK or forced to quit their jobs, which
will certainly disrupt the provision of care at a time when the
ageing population is on the increase and national workers on the
decrease.
To compound this, it is anticipated that this is only the first
step in the government’s pledge to reduce net migration and that
student migration will be next on the target list. In her
announcement, the Home Secretary stated that:
"Nearly half of all students coming here from abroad are
actually coming to study a course below degree level and abuse is
particularly common at these lower levels - a recent check of
students studying at private institutions below degree level showed
that a quarter could not be accounted for. Too many students, at
these lower levels, have been coming here with a view to living and
working, rather than studying. We need to stop this abuse."
It is not yet clear whether there will be any specific
exemptions to this cap for the care sector. In the meantime,
however, the interim cap imposed in July 2010 (resulting in a 5%
reduction in visas), will continue to apply. There may be a glimmer
of hope for those employers who will need to exceed their quota
between now and April 2011, as it may be possible to apply for a
limited increase, albeit only in exceptional circumstances.
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