Devastating impact Tories’ new immigration policy will have on Merseyside – Liverpool Echo

Fears have been raised over what the Governments plans to introduce a points-based immigration system would mean for Merseyside.

Radical plans introduced by Boris Johnsons government on Wednesday would mean blocking immigrants set to earn under 25,600 a year from entering the country - with that group considered low skilled.

As well as earning that amount, immigrants will also need a job offer - and to speak English to a certain level in order to get a work visa.

Now, industry experts on Merseyside have said the new cap, to be introduced from January 1, could mean not only spiralling numbers of unfilled vacancies in already struggling sectors such as care - but also opening the door for employers to operate under the radar.

That's despite the government saying there would be some exceptions for people earning close to the 25,600 figure and applying to shortage areas such as the NHS.

Employment and business experts at Liverpool John Moores University have said the points-based system will present a double jeopardy for the city.

Dr Patricia Harrison told the ECHO: Stopping low paid immigration to Merseyside could simply exacerbate the already dire situation of unfilled vacancies in sectors like distribution, care, agriculture and manual tasks like labouring and car washing.

According to recent ONS figures, the Liverpool City Region has approximately 30% of workers in jobs paying less than 25,000 per year.

Our research shows that many of these job are low paid and insecure. Depriving local economies, like Merseyside, of capable and willing immigrant labour is not going to produce more money for wages.

When announced, the plans prompted an outpouring of fury from businesses and council who warn sectors like social care face "disaster".

The Home Office, who said there will be some exceptions for people who earn 20,480 to 25,600, told businesses they should simply end their "reliance on cheap, low-skilled labour".

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Dr Harrison said that Liverpool, like the rest of the UK, has significant skill shortages in care workers.

She added: Whilst special provision for 10,000 seasonal workers to take low paid harvesting jobs is proposed, there is no such provision for other occupations, and we could be facing a black-hole in care provision against a backdrop of an ageing population.

As Wirrals director of childrens services Paul Boyce recently warned that in order to attract social care workers, local authorities were having to outpay each other on salaries. As if they had the money.

Dr Harrison and colleague Helen Collins conduct research into low pay, zero hours and the gig economy.

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Ms Collins said: In all likelihood, for areas such as Liverpool, this post-Brexit immigration planning runs the risk of driving such jobs further into precarity, in turn, enabling less scrupulous employers to operate under the radar of employee protection mechanisms such as the Modern Slavery Act.

If, and its a big if, this potential boost to training is the genuine motivation behind the Governments vision then this needs to be properly financially planned between the Home Office and Number 11 before the Budget, whether it happens on March 11 or later.

A policy statement published by the Government on Wednesday said free movement would end, laws surrounding this would be repealed and a new Immigration Bill would be introduced.

That would mean a "firm and fair" system which would "attract the high-skilled workers" to create a "high wage, high skill, high productivity economy".

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Devastating impact Tories' new immigration policy will have on Merseyside - Liverpool Echo