According to a recent media report, foreign workers aiming to come to Britain might soon need a salary exceeding £30,000, as part of proposed measures by ministers to curtail net migration levels. These proposals seek to raise the salary threshold for skilled professionals, though the final decision is yet to be confirmed.
Currently, individuals from outside shortage occupations must earn at least £26,200 to secure jobs in the UK. However, this figure stands notably lower than the median wage of £33,000.
Thursday's impending release of net migration data for the year ending June 2023 is projected to hover around 500,000, following a previous peak of 637,000 in the year ending September 2022, which subsequently dropped to 606,000 by the year ending December 2022.
This persistent high influx exceeds the government's 2019 commitment to an overall reduction in net migration. The surge is attributed to the UK granting visas to over 1.4 million migrants annually for various reasons like employment, education, or fleeing conflict.
Ministers, including Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who was recently dismissed, have advocated for measures to bring down net migration levels.
Expressing concerns over the consistently high net migration figures, Jenrick emphasized the public's desire for controlled migration over the past three decades, highlighting the failure of successive governments to deliver an effective migration system.
The report did not explicitly outline whether the proposals would extend to placing restrictions on foreign care workers, approximately 120,000 annually, or on migrants intending to bring their families to the UK. These aspects remain unspecified as part of the outlined proposals.
(With Agency Inputs)
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