Migration Rules: Revisions to the UK’s migrant worker regulations, permitting public healthcare staff to enter the country on lower salaries than those in the private sector, are raising concerns of exploitation for care workers, as per a government advisory panel.
These changes, announced by Home Secretary James Cleverly in December, have widened the gap between public and private sectors, notes a report by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), a body of independent economists and researchers guiding migration policy.
Migration Rules Update..
Implemented to curb immigration through government-approved routes, the alterations necessitate most skilled foreign workers to earn a minimum of $49,100 for a UK visa.
Despite this, the National Health Service (NHS) is exempt from the new earnings threshold, prompting criticism that the government is sidestepping salary requirements for publicly funded roles.
This exemption exacerbates the division between private and publicly funded occupations, particularly impacting lower-paid positions like care workers, notes the MAC’s report released on Friday.
The MAC’s report follows a government request for a rapid review of the new salary list. Unlike its forerunner, the Shortage Occupations List, the updated list disallows employers from hiring workers at a 20% salary discount to the industry’s going rate.
As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces pressure to reduce record-high net migration, the government is urged to recognize the consequences of these rule changes, particularly the risk of exploitation for lower-paid workers, and consider potential adjustments.
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