It is possible that the proposed new immigration rules could hurt businesses, as well as making it much more difficult for overseas workers to come to the UK.
The apparent lack of a low-skilled route seems incredibly short-sighted. The idea that we can replace our need for these types of workers with automation by January 2021 is absurd, as is the idea that all EU nationals will want low-skilled work – some will be children, pensioners, professionals or business owners in their own right.
There are some industries, particularly residential care, hospitality and construction, where this will simply not be possible. In these cases, employers may be considering how they find other sources of workers, how they meet customer demand and, ultimately, whether they face going out of business.
Overall, the biggest change proposed is the end of free movement. The actual changes to the existing routes for workers are not particularly radical; they just amend the model to include a wider range of skills and lower salaries, but there does not seem to be any long-term focus.
EU workers who are here before the end of 2020 still have the right to pre-settled status, five years leave to remain and access to the labour market. But, the main issue is around what happens when those EU migrants stop working in the future – who replaces them? This is something that employers will be considering today as they begin to understand the proposed changes.