By
Jack Doyle
Last updated at 12:55 AM on 14th March 2011
The number of jobs open to migrants from outside the European Union is to be halved, ministers will announce today.
Foreigners are currently able to obtain work permits for around 500,000 posts that bosses say cannot be filled by British or EU workers.
But from April that will fall to 230,000 when non-graduate jobs are taken off the Home Office ‘shortage occupation list’.
Clampdown: Florists will be among those barred from the Home Office ‘shortage occupation list’
Non-EU beauty salon managers, estate agents, florists, pipe fitters, steel erectors and welders will be among those barred.
The Home Office has commissioned an expert review of all the remaining categories on the list.
If the Migration Advisory Committee finds there are enough unemployed British workers with the required skills, tens of thousands more posts could be closed.
Ministers want to ensure that priority access to Britain’s labour market is granted only where there are real skills shortages.
Immigration minister Damian Green said the Government was determined to cut dole queues and make sure migrants were not the ‘first resort’ for firms with vacancies.
Firms looking to fill jobs which appear on the shortage list do not have to advertise to British workers first, and applicants do not have to meet an earnings test.
Others taken off the list because they are not graduate level include sheep shearers, senior care workers and meat boners.
Mr Green said: ‘These changes to the shortage occupation list will ensure that only skilled workers are coming to the UK through Tier 2 of the points-based system.
‘It will allow firms to bring in people with necessary skills without migrants becoming the first resort to fill a wide range of available jobs.
‘This Government is also determined to get people back to work and provide business with the skills they need from the British workforce – reducing the need for migrants at the same time as we reduce their number.’
Priority access: Immigration spokesman Damian Green says the proposals will stop migrants becoming the first resort to fill vacancies
Last week, Mr Green attacked Labour for failing to impose controls on Eastern European workers when the EU expanded in 2004.
He said the ‘mistake’ would never be repeated and much tougher restrictions would apply in future.
More than 1.15million Eastern European workers have signed up to the Home Office’s worker registration scheme.
Mr Green said the job categories listed as skilled under Tier 2 will be cut from 192 to 121.
Midwives, chartered surveyors and management accountants stay on the approved list.
Officials estimate around 65 per cent of the 8,400 work permits issued last year to workers on the shortage list would not have qualified under the new rules.
The shake-up is part of efforts to cut net migration – the number that migration adds to the population every year – to the tens of thousands by 2015. Last year it hit 226,000.
The student visa system will also be modified so only the ‘brightest and the best’ can come to Britain. Home Office figures suggest more than a quarter of those at private colleges flout immigration rules.
Professor David Metcalf, of the Migration Advisory Committee, said: ‘Placing limits on migration requires we are far more selective and ensure only highly skilled migrant workers can come to work in the UK.’
FIRMS DODGE £40MILLION IN ILLEGAL WORKER FINES
Eighty per cent of fines for hiring illegal workers go uncollected. Since the civil penalties regime came into force courts have imposed more than £50million in penalties but just £10million of this has been collected.
Firms which flout the rules by employing migrants with no right to work can be fined up to £10,000 a worker. But many of the fines are cut on appeal or have to be written off because of delays in processing them.
The figures were uncovered by Sir Andrew Green, of the think tank MigrationWatch. He said: ‘This is another example of successive governments’ feeble approach to illegal immigration.
‘To collect just 20 per cent of the available fines is frankly lamentable.’
The scheme was introduced with great fanfare in 2008 and since then 6,000 firms have been caught employing illegal workers, including Pizza Hut, Spar and Chez Gerard. Fines are routinely slashed for co-operation or for first offences.
Print this article
Read later
Email to a friend
Share this article:
Here’s what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
How many times have we read this nonsense from all parties? It matters not a jot, if the immigrants are EU citizens, or non-EU. It is still millions of jobs lost to our own people. Close the door to non-EU’s, get OUT of the EU and compel Job Seeker’s to actively search and accept paid employment, or lose benefits. Will it happen? Nah! Let’s make a start by banding together and signing the pledge for an eu referendum. That and UKIP are the only measures we can take to halt this immigration madness. Anything else is a pipe-dream. I’m prepared to fight, who will join me?
Report abuse
The fact that they’re prepared to work a lot longer for cheaper has nothing to do with it then, Maria? If Brits dont want to work for you, maybe you ought to take a look at yourself and your business as to why. You obviously need the workers more than they need you…
Report abuse
What a CON job as there will still be 230,000 permits given out. In 4 years that is the equivalent of a city the size of Birmingham. With the 230,000 visas will come the whole extended family in time so it hides the fact that this will continue to let in millions more. The only rational decision is to cut visas to less than 20,000 one tenth of what the CONS are stating.
Report abuse
lies ,lies,lies thats all this goverment say,dont forget “were all in it together” if your rich you are if your poor you get nothing,the rich get ritcher and the poor poorer.get out the EU.
Report abuse
It’s the influx of EU workers that’s crippling us..and they can’t or won’t do anything about that.
Report abuse
With benefits slashed I think a lot of British claimants will come out of the woodwork
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.