On 24th September 2024 Sir Keir Starmer told the Labour Party conference that his Government will reduce migration and Britain's dependency on foreign workers. In the afternoon on the same day there was published a press release on reducing net migration. Previously the new Labour government stressed the importance of the removal of those who remain in the UK illegally (e.g. overstayers, illegal entrants, those whose family relationship broke down etc).
In his speech, the Prime Minister said that his Government is committed to cutting net immigration and promised to boost young British people's skills to reduce reliance on overseas workers.
Sir Keir Starmer added that his Government's policy will see the Migration Advisory Committee proactively highlight key sectors where labour market failures have led to soaring overseas recruitment, while employers guilty of flouting employment laws will be banned from hiring from abroad.
Furthermore, the PM said that businesses that break work visa rules will be banned from hiring employees from abroad under a new immigration plan, the Prime Minister announced on Tuesday 24th September 2024.
Training Britons rather than reliance on foreign labour and migration
The PM set out measures to ensure Home Office visa policies are linked to skills and market needs to prevent foreign labour being used as an alternative to investing in training for young Britons. British firms in a number of industries, including healthcare, IT and hospitality, have become increasingly reliant on foreign labour in recent years.
Sectors most reliant on overseas workers will be targeted to ensure they are addressing their failure to invest in skills here in the UK.
Sir Keir Starmer said that the rules around migrant sponsorship will be enforced to ensure employers guilty of flouting visa laws are banned from hiring from abroad.
He further stated that the Government will continue to clampdown on existing sponsors to make sure they comply with their obligations. Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will continue suspending and revoking licenses where employers abuse the immigration system and exploit migrant workers.
Expanded role of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)
Under the plan set out by the Prime Minister, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will highlight sectors where labour market failures have led to soaring overseas recruitment and provide an annual assessment to ministers. MAC will be monitoring and proactively highlighting key sectors where skills shortages have led to surges in overseas recruitment and provide a yearly assessment to ministers to inform policy decision making. The MAC's annual assessment will help industries respond swiftly to skills gaps and take necessary steps to reduce their dependency on migrant workers and invest in training, workforce plans, and higher quality jobs for workers here at home.
The expanded role for the MAC will be bolstered by additional capacity and includes work to assess the root causes of why certain sectors are so reliant on overseas workers. It has already been commissioned by the Home Secretary to look at IT and engineering – key sectors which have consistently relied on the international workforce, rather than sourcing the workers and skills they need here in the UK.
The MAC independent body has already been asked to review the impact that foreign worker visa rules introduced by the previous Conservative government are having on Britain's workforce including MAC review of IT and engineering sectors, as well as family visa new financial requirements. These include those employed from abroad being prevented from bringing dependents to the UK and increasing the salary needed to obtain a permit.
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