As the government is about to enter Brexit negotiations, many sectors in UK are raising the alarm about how the proposed immigration policies are likely to hit their industry.
A poll by Tech London Advocates (TLA) delved into the concerns of 272 of its members and found concerning data that the existing immigration policy does not permit world-class talent to enter the UK, and over 50 per cent of the techies were concerned about the policies.
Russ Shaw, founder of TLA said: “Access to global talent is a top priority for tech companies, and these results confirm that firms want a government that can establish an immigration and visa policy to press this need. With Brexit negotiations set to begin, we need a government that creates the right conditions for tech companies to grow, ensuring that they can access international talent to bridge the sills gap and provide world-leading insights and knowledge.”
It's appearing to be very difficult to make plans for the future. As an example, during the Brexit campaign, Boris Johnson had said that Indian immigrants would benefit if EU immigrant numbers were to be reduced, but that may not be the case any more.
OPTIMISM FOR THE IT INDUSTRY
Jon Howell, an IT professional working as a freelancer told Asian Voice: “In my experience, the IT industry hasn't had any significant trouble getting visas for highly-skilled foreign workers to come over to the UK when needed. If anything we're lucky to not have to worry as much as some industries, primarily because the internet makes IT jobs easier to outsource than many other sectors. Workers don't always have to physically come here.”
There are further reasons for the IT industry to feel confident as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, formally inaugurated the London Tech Week as a part of his plans to turn London into "world's leading smart city". His plans include launching a new £1.6 million clean technology incubator called 'Better Futures', that will assist London business to battle pollution and deliver technology. As well as that, a new tech innovation centre named 'Plexal' was opened in East London to support 800 start-ups and other businesses, as part of plans to entice firms to the city;
THE NHS FEEL THE PINCH AS STAFF DROP
However, other industries have started feeling the pinch. In healthcare, the Royal Council of Nursing (RCN) last month has found that one in nine posts in England were vacant. The Health Foundation said that since 2008, the majority of international recruits have come from the EU and action was required to offset any further loss of EU nursing staff that would lead to 'severe consequences for patients.'
Janet Davies, head of the RCN said the profession was in a "state of crisis" with 40,000 vacancies in England. The Department of Health said the future of EU nationals in the health and care system 'should be a priority' in Brexit negotiations.
Small and medium-size businesses that depend on professionals from outside the UK shared their views over the immigration cap. Gurpal Gill, Property Developer and Founder of Specialist Skin Clinic Miravue in Southall said: “We will have to put a lot more into training and development, and lose out on committed and trained staff.”
TIGHT REGULATION WILL BE DAMAGING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), in an article in The Guardian, had warned that tight regulation of migration would damage construction activity in the UK. However, it also acknowledged a longstanding industry failure to train UK workers, particularly young people.
Kulvinder Paul, the Founder of Kool Cakes shares the same opinion. While he heavily employs EU members for his shops and his property development businesses, he seemed confident. “Things will continue the way it was going on 30 years back. We will have to invest some more time in the training and skill development. I think this is a healthy situation.”
DIVERSE NATURE OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WILL ALWAYS NEED IMMIGRANTS
According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the government must recognise the need for sufficient expertise in the hospitality industry as it tightens the UK’s borders.The REC reports that one in every five hospitality vacancies is already difficult to fill, and any immigration cap could increase the scale of the problem.
Suzanne Letting, chair of REC Hospitality, wrote in an article on immigration matters that it was clear that immigration is an issue which needs tackling and the diverse nature of the UK hospitality sector is vital to its success and its potential to grow.
“Any immigration policies limiting the number of staff with the in-demand skills will have a direct impact on the already hard-pressed hospitality industry,” Ms Letting said.
Mahmud Zaman, the Head Chef at Zaman International, a multi-national cuisine restaurant, and a part of the Sportman Group of Casinos shares similar concerns over immigration. “More than 50 per cent of our staff is from EU countries, both ours and the casino business that has floating customers from all over the world will be impacted by a hard Brexit,” he said.
Conservative MP Priti Patel had promised the Bangladeshi Curry industry that the vacancies created from a cap in immigrants from the EU after Brexit will be filled in by the Bangladeshi chefs from South Asia. However, Theresa May plans to drastically cut down on immigration and does not plan to give any additional leverage to non-EU countries.
Amidst all the panic and mixed opinions, we try to stay positive about the impact of the Brexit negotiations. Sadiq Khan's positive vision for technology is what we would aspire for other industries as well “my ambition now is to harness the new technologies that are being pioneered right here to transform London into the world's leading smart city... the potential for cutting-edge technology to tackle a host of social, economic and environmental challenges is immeasurable.”
