UK migration advisor: Discontinue the use of special visas for certain professions.

On Tuesday, the independent immigration counsellor to the British government suggested eliminating one of the primary channels through which companies recruit foreign labour in industries with significant staffing shortages.

According to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), making it simpler to hire low-wage employees raised the likelihood of exploitation. The MAC was hired to assess the Shortage Occupation List (SOL).

In order to assist businesses that may have a difficult time finding qualified employees after Brexit, business lobby groups have already urged the government to increase the number of vocations on the list.

However, the committee also noted that low-wage migrants were more likely to incur a net fiscal cost for the United Kingdom, and that the heavy administrative costs of the programme rendered it unprofitable for many companies.

For jobs on the list, which includes positions like caretakers and bricklayers, employers can recruit foreign employees at 80% of the "going rate" for a job in Britain.

Being on the list enables firms to avoid paying the standard minimum wage requirement for a skilled worker visa, which is 26,200 pounds ($31,610). As a result, industries with going rates below that amount profited the most from inclusion, according to MAC.

No business should be permitted to pay less than the market wage, according to MAC, which protects native employees from undercutting and lessens the exploitation of foreigners.

According to a representative for the British Home Office, the government would evaluate the report's conclusions and respond "in due course."

In the future, the MAC suggested, it may instead focus on improvements to things like pay, training, and technological investment while looking at specific industries or vocations with particularly pressing labour market difficulties.

(Sources: investing.com, reuters.com)