Supporters of Brexit hoped it would lead to a decrease in immigration, but the latest data shows that immigration numbers are actually at their highest point in our history. In the past year alone, work visas have increased by 25% to 239,987, family visas by 49% to 280,776, and student visas by 52% to 432,729. This equates to almost one million visas granted. While some of this increase can be attributed to arrivals from Ukraine and Hong Kong, they only make up a small percentage of the total. It is surprising that such a significant rise in immigration hasn’t become a prominent political issue amidst the recent crises faced by Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson himself has always had a more relaxed stance on immigration compared to his colleagues. His support for Brexit was not driven by a desire to reduce overall immigration numbers like his two immediate predecessors, but rather to regain control over who can enter the UK. This is reflected in the proposed points-based system, which aims to attract graduates from top universities through a new visa scheme. Home Secretary Priti Patel has emphasized that this scheme will prioritize ability and talent over nationality.
However, the current challenges in the workforce are not primarily related to high-achieving individuals, but rather the shortage of workers in low-skilled jobs. This issue should be addressed by engaging the existing population, as there has been a decline in the number of people working since the pandemic. Despite an abundance of job vacancies and the lowest unemployment rate since the 1970s, there has been a significant increase in older workers leaving the workforce and a rise in people reporting long-term illnesses, particularly in the UK compared to other similar countries.
While attracting high-value graduates is important, the government should also prioritize addressing the labor shortage issues in industries such as retail, hospitality, construction, as well as the NHS and social care sectors. These shortages could worsen existing stagflationary tendencies if not properly managed.
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Supporters of Brexit hoped it would lead to a decrease in immigration, but the latest data shows that immigration numbers are actually at their highest point in our history. In the past year alone, work visas have increased by 25% to 239,987, family visas by 49% to 280,776, and student visas by 52% to 432,729. This equates to almost one million visas granted. While some of this increase can be attributed to arrivals from Ukraine and Hong Kong, they only make up a small percentage of the total. It is surprising that such a significant rise in immigration hasn’t become a prominent political issue amidst the recent crises faced by Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson himself has always had a more relaxed stance on immigration compared to his colleagues. His support for Brexit was not driven by a desire to reduce overall immigration numbers like his two immediate predecessors, but rather to regain control over who can enter the UK. This is reflected in the proposed points-based system, which aims to attract graduates from top universities through a new visa scheme. Home Secretary Priti Patel has emphasized that this scheme will prioritize ability and talent over nationality.
However, the current challenges in the workforce are not primarily related to high-achieving individuals, but rather the shortage of workers in low-skilled jobs. This issue should be addressed by engaging the existing population, as there has been a decline in the number of people working since the pandemic. Despite an abundance of job vacancies and the lowest unemployment rate since the 1970s, there has been a significant increase in older workers leaving the workforce and a rise in people reporting long-term illnesses, particularly in the UK compared to other similar countries.
While attracting high-value graduates is important, the government should also prioritize addressing the labor shortage issues in industries such as retail, hospitality, construction, as well as the NHS and social care sectors. These shortages could worsen existing stagflationary tendencies if not properly managed.