Britain has announced measures to reduce legal migration, including raising the minimum salary for skilled jobs by a third, amid pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to address record net migration figures. With legal migration a prominent issue for over a decade and a key factor in the 2016 Brexit vote, Sunak aims to gain more control.
However, businesses and trade unions criticize the measures, deeming them counterproductive and challenging for sectors facing labor shortages. Home Secretary James Cleverly suggests the new measures could decrease annual net migration by 300,000.
They involve raising the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers, exempting health and social workers, and implementing other restrictions on family visas and healthcare surcharges. These measures may lead to disputes with business owners in a tight labor market, especially with the end of free movement from the EU.
The government will also review the shortage occupations list, and Cleverly announced the end of paying migrants below the going rate for jobs with shortages.
