Stricter Immigration Policies Forthcoming

United Kingdom

The UK should see reduced abuses of the immigration system, fewer immigrants and increased and more efficient control measures, according to a speech delivered by Prime Minister Cameron outlining how the Conservative Party plans to manage immigration.

The Prime Minister’s plans include limiting immigration from outside Europe to positions with genuine skills shortages or in situations that require highly-specialized experts, limiting the duration of time professions can be classified as having shortages and making it illegal for employment agencies to recruit foreign workers without advertising those jobs in the UK. These plans stem from the fact that net migration to the UK increased by more than 50% last year, and that some professions are on the shortage occupation list year after year.

There are also plans to implement stricter housing regulations for immigrants, including extending Right to Rent Check rules to all parts of the UK, enabling landlords to evict illegal immigrants quicker and introducing a mandatory licensing regime for landlords who house migrants. There are also plans to consult the public on a policy to cancel tenancies when a tenant’s visa expires.

Additionally, the Prime Minister stated his plans to criminalize work without an appropriate work permit and to grant the government the right to seize wages paid to illegal migrants.

What This Means for Employers

Global mobility experts and administrative departments should stay informed of the proposed changes, especially as they relate to training and housing requirements, as such changes may require internal company policy amendments.

Fragomen will express clients’ interests and concerns in its communications with the Home Office.

The alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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