Call to tighten migration rules

Ministers were today urged to tighten further the rules on foreign workers from outside the European Union coming to take jobs in the UK.

The official Migration Advisory Committee recommended a further 70,000 jobs should be closed to migrant workers coming to take positions in shortage occupations.

If accepted, the number of posts covered by the shortage occupation list will be reduced from 260,000 to 190,000.

Under the committee's proposals, 29 job titles would be removed from the list, including secondary school biology teachers, veterinary surgeons and rank and file orchestral musicians.

A further 33 job titles would however be opened to non-EU migrant workers - including experts in visual effects and 2D/3D computer animation for films, television and games - after the committee identified potential shortages.

The committee chairman, Professor David Metcalf, acknowledged the proposed changes would have only a "limited impact" as a maximum of just 20,700 workers can be admitted each year through the so-called Tier 2 of the Government's points-based immigration system.

"We think it is vital that the Government, employers and the training sector take concerted action to raise the skill levels of the UK workforce, especially in long-standing shortage occupation areas," he said.

"This will reduce the UK's reliance on migrant workers in the long term and provide real benefits for the economy as a whole."

PA