Countries / Territories
- 🌐
Today the Prime Minister, Theresa May, gave business some of the answers they have been craving since last June's EU referendum. She told us, broadly, what Brexit will mean for the UK.
The big ticket item was her announcement that the UK would leave the EU single market. That wasn't what most businesses wanted to hear, but sometimes it's the not knowing that gets you.
On immigration, she was more circumspect. One welcome statement was a repeated commitment to guaranteeing the status of EU nationals already in the UK. The sticking point is Europe's unwillingness to match that commitment too.
It feels petty to criticise her here - she is right and it would be appalling if EU nationals were told to leave after Brexit - but it is a shame she didn't feel able to make that commitment in the absence of bilateral agreement from Brussels. Aside from anything, the view is always better from the moral high ground, particularly in negotiations.
Her other comments didn't tell us too much. Talk of attracting the brightest and best, skills shortages and net migration could as easily have been cut and pasted from earlier speeches.
The one interesting point was her assertion that 'we will get control of the number of people coming to the UK from the EU', a point she made twice.
My first reaction was to assume she was talking about some sort of quota, or similar, on EU migration. Otherwise, why link control to number? Whether that is right remains to be seen. It is conceivable that a quota will be placed on some EU migrant groups, particularly some subsets of workers. I've heard lots of speculation about quotas on lower skilled workers, for instance.
It seems less likely we'd have a limit on all EU migration. For one, I doubt the political will would exist for capping student numbers and likewise, I can't see how the number of family members entering could be capped. That said, there is a cap on some non-EU workers and maybe that will be extended to catch their peers from Europe.
Even now though, this is just speculation and over the years I've learned not to read too much into any given sentence.
For our part, we will continue to work with the Home Office, Whitehall, opposition parties, business groups, think tanks and the foreign governments as things become clearer. The trick will be to make sure that messages to the government are consistent, however, the PM's intentions manifest themselves. That is easier said than done, but we have the infrastructure in place to do it.
Countries / Territories
- 🌐
Explore more at Fragomen
Blog post
Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit analyses the UK’s latest net migration decline, exploring what the data reveals about policy impact, economic trade‑offs and the risks of over‑correction in future migration strategy.
Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper discusses the practical considerations facing employers and foreign nationals amid recent changes to green card processing.
Blog post
Video
In this #FragomenFC episode, Partner Rick Lamanna, Senior Manager Sergio Flores and Senior Associate Jake Paul Minster discuss final travel and immigration considerations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Media mentions
Senior Manager Samantha Arnold discusses Ireland's citizenship framework and the gaps that can remain following reforms to birthright citizenship.
Video
In this video, Partner Diana Quintas discusses how Brazil’s family reunion visa supports long-term international assignments and outlines key eligibility, documentation and compliance considerations for employers and families relocating to Brazil.
Blog post
Attorney María José Clarke explores Chile’s intensified immigration enforcement framework under President José Antonio Kast, examining new employer compliance obligations, work authorization rules for foreign nationals and the legal and financial consequences of unauthorized employment.
Media mentions
Senior Manager Jonathan Hill examines how the UK's new RAG rating system and stricter compliance metrics could shape universities' approaches to international student recruitment and sponsorship compliance.
Blog post
Knowledge Management Director Ana Sofia Walsh and Senior Client Engagement Manager Soraya Driessen examine the European Commission’s EU Inc. proposal and its potential to reshape corporate structures across the EU, highlighting the resulting complexities and unresolved questions for immigration, work authorization and cross-border workforce mobility.
Video
With less than two weeks until the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Senior Associate Jake Paul Minster outlines important visa and entry considerations for travelers planning to visit the US, Canada and Mexico.
Media mentions
Partner Ali Haider discussed how flexible residency pathways, strong infrastructure and access to healthcare are continuing to drive interest among retirees looking to relocate to the UAE.
Blog post
Partner K. Edward Raleigh analyzes how post‑midterm US business immigration will shift toward heightened enforcement, worker‑protection scrutiny and cross‑agency oversight, urging employers to align hiring practices, sponsorship decisions and documentation with consistent, defensible workforce strategies.
Blog post
Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit analyses the UK’s latest net migration decline, exploring what the data reveals about policy impact, economic trade‑offs and the risks of over‑correction in future migration strategy.
Media mentions
Partner Bo Cooper discusses the practical considerations facing employers and foreign nationals amid recent changes to green card processing.
Blog post
Video
In this #FragomenFC episode, Partner Rick Lamanna, Senior Manager Sergio Flores and Senior Associate Jake Paul Minster discuss final travel and immigration considerations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Media mentions
Senior Manager Samantha Arnold discusses Ireland's citizenship framework and the gaps that can remain following reforms to birthright citizenship.
Video
In this video, Partner Diana Quintas discusses how Brazil’s family reunion visa supports long-term international assignments and outlines key eligibility, documentation and compliance considerations for employers and families relocating to Brazil.
Blog post
Attorney María José Clarke explores Chile’s intensified immigration enforcement framework under President José Antonio Kast, examining new employer compliance obligations, work authorization rules for foreign nationals and the legal and financial consequences of unauthorized employment.
Media mentions
Senior Manager Jonathan Hill examines how the UK's new RAG rating system and stricter compliance metrics could shape universities' approaches to international student recruitment and sponsorship compliance.
Blog post
Knowledge Management Director Ana Sofia Walsh and Senior Client Engagement Manager Soraya Driessen examine the European Commission’s EU Inc. proposal and its potential to reshape corporate structures across the EU, highlighting the resulting complexities and unresolved questions for immigration, work authorization and cross-border workforce mobility.
Video
With less than two weeks until the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Senior Associate Jake Paul Minster outlines important visa and entry considerations for travelers planning to visit the US, Canada and Mexico.
Media mentions
Partner Ali Haider discussed how flexible residency pathways, strong infrastructure and access to healthcare are continuing to drive interest among retirees looking to relocate to the UAE.
Blog post
Partner K. Edward Raleigh analyzes how post‑midterm US business immigration will shift toward heightened enforcement, worker‑protection scrutiny and cross‑agency oversight, urging employers to align hiring practices, sponsorship decisions and documentation with consistent, defensible workforce strategies.
