MAC: Most cuts will have to come from student and family routes
Professor David Metcalf, chair of the migration advisory committee, reveals the findings of its report out today which recommends imposing cuts of between 13% and 25% on skilled economic migrants:
“It is not possible to reduce net migration to the tens of thousands by limiting work-related migration alone.
“The committee assumes that work-related migration takes 20% of the total cut – its fair share – which implies that family and student migration must take the other 80%.
“It would be remiss not to point out that there is widespread concern among employers regarding the impact that limits on migration could have.
“Non-EU Tier 1 and Tier 2 migrants, at present levels: have a small positive impact on GDP per head; do not increase inflationary pressure; contribute positively to net public finances; play a small but important part in the provision of education, health and social services; increase pressure in the housing market a little; and probably have little effect on crime and cohesion.”
