Pandering to anti-migrant sentiment is hurting the British economy.
Pandering to anti-migrant sentiment is hurting the British economy
In seeking to see off the threat from UKIP, David Cameron’s government has put a great deal of stock in appearing ‘tough’ on immigration.
Back in 2010 Cameron argued that it was “perfectly possible” to halve net migration without damaging companies or the economy.
Four years on and the results of this assumption are starting to come in; and it doesn’t bode well for the coalition.
According to a new study carried out by the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory for the Financial Times, the number of highly skilled migrants from outside Europe fell by more than a third since between 2011 and 2013.
There were 28,000 fewer highly skilled migrants in the UK last year compared to 2011, a drop of just over 10 per cent.
As the FT (£) reports:
“While researchers stop short of blaming policy changes for the decline in skilled specialists from Asia, Africa and the Americas, the findings are clear: the reduction in non-EU hires between 2011 and 2013 has been mirrored by a corresponding 53 per cent rise in highly skilled migrants from older EU countries such as France and Germany.”
Particularly telling is a comment in the FT’s by the director general of the CBI John Cridland:
“I certainly pick up in international markets that there’s now a perception that the UK isn’t as open to highly skilled migrants and investors and entrepreneurs.”
In April 2011 the government abolished Labour’s ‘highly skilled’ visa route and introduced an annual cap on the number of skilled workers allowed into the UK. They also put an end to the post-study work visa, which had previously allowed overseas graduates to stay in Britain to look for work for two years after finishing their studies.
Responding to the findings, the business secretary Vince Cable told the FT that the net migration target was “not government policy”. He added that it “clearly had a damaging impact on UK plc by reducing the talent pool available to companies based here”.
Despite previously insisting that Britain is ‘still open for business’, it appears that pandering to anti-migrant sentiment is directly hurting the British economy.
38 Responses to “It’s official: the immigration clampdown is hurting British business”
Guest
And you say over and over you want to murder everyone who dosn’t look like you, right. You claim “rights” to purge and kill. The usual, you’re a good little hater fanatic.
And no, you’re not a “native people” under the UN definition. So sorry you’re just in the supermajority, white man.
Guest
Ah yes, voting for smashing trade, and isolation. For a banker who’s been quite open about his allegiance to the 1%. Whose plan involves massive poverty for the 99%, as you blame immigrants for a structural housing crisis (so the peons can expect to live in the streets in your Isolated Kingdom, as you blame more and more targets for things not improving after the borders are smashed shut on the economy).
You are indeed for turning Britain into the third-world, and you’ll “immigrate” to Monaco while the peons labour for you here.
itdoesntaddup
Actually it’s not official. I wrote to the authors of the report as follows:
“I read your paper with interest. However, an alternative hypothesis occurs to me – namely that the reduction in highly skilled inward migration had little or nothing to do with immigration controls, but rather was a direct consequence of changes in economic activity – particularly in the banking/financial services and oil and gas sectors.
The governments consulted on their changes to immigration rules, and could have set them to give the appearance of “doing something”, while being careful in practice to do no more than was happening in any case.
Thus the policy followed the reality, rather than creating it – and was created for appearances to appease certain voters. That the visa cap has not proved a constraint on skilled migration surely supports this view. I note you are careful to say that your research cannot preclude the idea that economic forces are responsible for the changes.”
Carlos Vargas-Silva replied:
“Thanks for the feedback.
We cannot discard that as a possibility. It is not possible to say how much is migration policy vs the economy and other factors.”
treborc1
Then how about giving me a try I’m sure I could work at something, sadly I’ve given up trying., me and my trusty work horse my wheelchair.
The issue was once Blair opened up the doors and like it or not he did, to him it was a way of controlling Blue collar working wages especially in the self employment area, I gave up thinking immigration is good. The reason our universities are struggling is simple they are to costly for people when they can go to pretty good one these days in China and India or France of Germany.
treborc1
yes it sounds racist because it is….