In Conversation with the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Sema Malhotra MP

We were delighted attend joint event held by Magrath Sheldrick and British American Business (BAB) on Tuesday 8 October at the Law Society on Chancery Lane, London.

With a keynote address delivered by the Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Sema Malhotra MP, we were treated to a presentation from Professor Brian Bell, Chair of the Migration Advisory Committee. Professor Bell took questions from Ben Sheldrick and a packed audience, alongside Philippa Rouse, Director of the Future Border and Immigration System Programme at the Home Office.

Magrath Sheldrick have kindly highlighted the following key takeaways: 

• The Government intends to repeal the Illegal Migration Act
• There will be no return to net migration targets, quotas or caps on COS.
• The government will take a holistic, cross-agency approach (including Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Council and DWP supported by MAC commissions). The aim will be to reduce reliance on foreign workers, upskill the UK labour force, whilst retaining the routes that maintain UK competitiveness and assist in the growth agenda.
• Digitization will be accelerated with e-borders (ETA and e-visas) on the immediate horizon. There was much discussion of the risks associated with major digitization projects.
• The Sponsor Management System will be upgraded and easier to navigate.
• The MAC will receive additional resources to enable it to undertake its commissions, notably in relation to the IT/ Engineering Sectors and financial maintenance requirements for family visas.
• The Graduate route will remain in place.

Expat Academy members can find the full Magrath Sheldrick briefing note, in the Technical Updates section of the Expat Academy Vault.