We consider keeping the 170,000 target to not only be economically damaging but also socially divisive
In today’s world, immigration is a fact of life. Thousands of people from inside and outside the EU make a positive contribution to the UK, just as thousands of British people do all over the world. Moving abroad is not a crime and not a threat. It’s the way the world works, and most people who do it are determined to do a good job wherever they go.
EU migrants make a vital contribution to our country: they bring innovation and ideas to our economy; they pay taxes that help us invest in our public services; and they are our friends, family and neighbours. This is why we are concerned about the economic and social implications of plans to dramatically reduce migration to the tens of thousands.
The Prime Minister has confirmed that this remains government policy. Recently, however, ministers have suggested that there will not be a reduction of EU workers in major sectors of the economy, including hospitality, catering, social care, agriculture, financial services, construction, farming and universities. Combined, the EU nationals employed in the sectors that ministers have suggested will be protected make up 34 per cent of EU nationals currently working in the UK.
Yvette Cooper interrogates Theresa May over immigration policy
This, in our view, does not represent fully the numbers of EU workers that are indispensable to the UK workforce, but it does show how difficult and damaging it would be to make huge reductions in future numbers of EU migrants coming to the UK.
The tens of thousands target means annual migration will have to be reduced by more than 170,000. In light of ministers’ comments about key sectors, the bulk of this reduction will fall on non-EU migrants and EU migrants in non-protected sectors, such as energy, manufacturing, information and communication, science, or areas of the public sector.
Such a reduction focused on these sectors would deny businesses of the skills and talent they need and exposes the target as unachievable. We agree with the Government’s commitment in its recent White Paper on the UK and the EU that we must be a country “that recognises the valuable contribution migrants make to our society and welcomes those with the skills and expertise to make our nation better still”. This ambition is, however, incompatible with the tens of thousands target.
Brexit Concerns
Theresa May: UK to leave single market
Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". GettyLead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs
Brexit will put British patients at the “back of the queue” for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned – forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA – because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty ImagesLondon to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks
One of Germany’s top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as “gateway to Europe” for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the Bundesbank—Germany’s central bank—told a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were “equivalent” between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still “miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market”, the BBC reports. Jason HawkesExodus
The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union ShutterstockBrexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer
Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEO’s performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterling’s fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. RexIndeed, we consider keeping the target to not only be economically damaging but also potentially socially divisive, as it is based on the premise that migrants are a negative for our country when they are in fact the opposite.
If this is to remain official government policy, however, it should be justified, so we urge the Government to answer these questions:
- When will the target be reached and will any changes to current freedom of movement rules be subject to a transitional period?
- What is the economic rationale for the target and what evidence can be provided to demonstrate it will stimulate economic growth?
- Given net migration is at present almost evenly split between EU and non-EU migration, will this continue with an aim for approximately 50,000 EU migrants and 50,000 non-EU migrants?
- In which of the now non-protected sectors of the economy will there be a significant reduction of EU migrants, and what assessment has been made of the impact?
- What assessment has been made of the impact of the target on the public sector?
- What assessment has been made of the impact on skills shortages in specific trades and sectors?
- Will the Government publish all submissions businesses and trade bodies have made regarding the impact of pursuing this target?
- What skills training measures will be put in place to directly replace lost EU labour?
- In which regions will the impact of the reduction of EU migrants be felt most acutely, and at what cost?
- What assessment has been made of the numbers that will be lost due to UK employment growth slowing, versus the numbers that will be lost as a direct consequence of changes in government migration policy?
We very much hope the Government will take the time to engage with the implications of their target and, if it is to remain as the driver of UK migration policy, answer the above questions in detail.
Anna Soubry is Conservative MP for Broxtowe; Pat McFadden is Labour MP for Wolverhampton South East; Norman Lamb is Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk
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