Discussion on 'Will Labour's immigration reforms undermine its other missions?'

Speakers:
Brian Bell, Chair, Migration Advisory Committee
Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics & Public Policy, King's College London & Senior Fellow, UK in a Changing Europe
John Springford, Associate Fellow, Centre for European Reform (chair)
Madeleine Sumption, Director, Migration Observatory

This month, the Labour government published a white paper setting out wide-ranging reforms to the UK's immigration system. The aim is to reduce net migration numbers, and to replace workers from overseas with domestic ones. Salary and skills thresholds for work visas will rise, the social care visa will be abolished, and sectors of the economy that the government believes are too reliant on foreign labour will have to set out plans to develop skills of British workers. The Home Office forecasts that this will reduce net migration by up to 100,000 people a year. Will the government's plans undermine its other missions - economic growth, net zero, housebuilding, investment in infrastructure, and repairing the NHS? What are the potential impacts of the white paper on the government's other aims?

The event launched John Springford's CER policy brief, 'Reconciling UK migration policy with the energy transition'.