London's Mayor Sadiq Khan is urging the minimum salary to appoint foreign skilled workers to be reduced to £21,000 from £30,000. After Brexit, government plans suggest EU migrants will be treated in the same way as the non-EU migrants.
Sadiq Khan has therefore called on the Government to devolve immigration powers to City Hall, helping ‘fast-track’ applications to address skill shortages.
He is also reportedly supporting a new freelance visa to boost the creative industries in London. Under Mr Khan’s plans, London would create a register of industries facing skill shortages, with visa applications from workers serving these sectors prioritised.
The Mayor said that he believes that immigration changes should support London’s potential as a global city.
Research from City Hall claims extending the current rules to EU migrants would damage London’s economy. Construction, Care and hospitality would be worst affected under the new system, the study found.
The Harrow Times reported that there are currently 150,000 EU workers in jobs paid below £30,000 visa threshold – with a quarter of these in construction and hospitality alone. And 57 percent of businesses in the capital think proposed visa changes would worsen skill shortages, according to polling from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Mayor Khan reportedly said: “If the Government’s proposed immigration changes go ahead, then I’m fearful for the impact they’ll have on the fabric of our city.
“The impact on the construction sector would make the housing crisis worse. And the impact on public services, including our schools and the NHS, could have devastating consequences for years to come.
“The new Prime Minister should instead fully recognise the positive impact immigration and Freedom of Movement has had in London and the UK.”
But the Prime Minister wants an Australian points based system to continue. A spokesperson for the Home Office said, “As the Prime Minister has said, he wants an immigration system that attracts the brightest and best talent from around the world, which is based on what someone can contribute rather than where they come from.”
