Reduction in Work Visas for Health and Social Care Sectors
Recent official statistics indicate a significant drop in the number of people coming to the UK to work in the NHS and social care sectors. According to data from the Home Office, there has been an 11% decrease in the total number of work visas granted, with 286,382 issued in the year ending June 2024.
Sharp Decline in Health and Care Sector Visas
The decline is most pronounced in the health and care sector, where only 89,085 work visas were approved in the same period. This represents a dramatic 80% reduction compared to the previous year’s figures. This drop follows new restrictions imposed by the former Conservative government, aimed at reducing overall immigration.
Government Restrictions Impact Visa Numbers
In December of the previous year, former Home Secretary James Cleverly announced new rules designed to cut down on foreign workers and their families. These rules included stricter minimum salary requirements for workers and their dependents, reflecting a broader effort to reduce net migration which had been approaching record levels.
Fall in Student Visas
The statistics also show a decrease in the number of student visas granted. Approximately 432,000 visas were issued to foreign students in the year ending June 2024, marking a 13% decline from the previous year. Additionally, the number of visas granted to family members of students dropped by 81% in the first half of 2024.
Potential Implications for Net Migration
Dr. Ben Brindle from the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory noted that these visa reductions could lead to a decrease in net migration, although definitive figures are yet to be published. The impact of these changes on the long-term migration trends will depend on how many recent student arrivals remain in the UK and whether there is any rebound in health and care visas.
Labour’s Response and Policy Goals
Before the general election earlier this year, the Labour Party committed to reducing net migration, though no specific targets were set. Labour’s strategy includes reducing the UK’s reliance on foreign labor through enhanced workforce training, especially in critical sectors such as health and construction.
Seema Malhotra, the minister for immigration, criticized the previous Conservative government for failing to address skills shortages, which led to a dependence on foreign recruitment. She pledged to continue some of the previous government’s measures, including limiting the number of dependants allowed to join relatives in the UK.
Former Government’s Position
James Cleverly defended the previous government’s approach, stating that the measures taken have contributed to a reduction in net migration. He also raised concerns about the new Labour government’s reversal of the Rwanda deportation policy and questioned what would be done with rejected asylum seekers from countries like Afghanistan, Syria, or Iran.
Decline in Asylum Applications
Alongside the reduction in work and student visas, asylum applications also saw a decline. Approximately 97,000 people sought asylum in the UK by June 2024, an 8% decrease from the previous year. This figure includes 38,784 irregular arrivals, with 80% arriving via small boats across the English Channel.
Backlog and Processing Delays
The number of pending asylum claims stood at 118,882 as of June 2024. This backlog includes many cases from the past two years, exacerbated by the previous government’s decision to halt most asylum processing as part of its plan to deport some individuals to Rwanda.
The new Labour administration has tasked officials with clearing this backlog and determining which cases involve genuine refugees and which should be removed from the country.
Criticisms and Future Directions
Seema Malhotra has criticized the previous government’s handling of the asylum system, describing the current state as chaotic. Meanwhile, James Cleverly has questioned the Labour government’s approach to handling asylum seekers with rejected claims, particularly given the reversal of the Rwanda policy.
The current government faces the challenge of addressing these complex issues while managing public expectations and ensuring a fair and efficient immigration system.
