The United Kingdom (UK) Government has taken a significant step to bolster the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
The MAC is an independent body that advises the government on immigration policies.
Starting January 2025, the MAC’s leadership and resources will expand to meet the country’s complex labor and migration challenges.
This fulfills a manifesto promise to link migration, skills, and labor policies while prioritizing domestic workforce development.
The announcement coincides with the release of the MAC’s 2024 Annual Report, highlighting key trends and recommendations for UK migration policies.
Strengthening the MAC’s role
The government has committed to strengthen the MAC’s role as part of a 2019 manifesto pledge.
Professor Brian Bell, who currently works part-time as chair of the MAC, will transition to a full-time role starting in January 2025.
Dr. Madeleine Sumption, a well-known migration expert, will serve as the Committee’s deputy chair for an initial 12-month period.
To support its expanded responsibilities, the MAC will also receive additional staffing.
This will help the Committee analyze migration trends more effectively and advise on policies that reduce dependency on overseas workers.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship Seema Malhotra said the MAC would play a central role in restoring the UK’s broken immigration system,
“It is vital that the MAC is equipped with the resources it needs to perform this important role,” Malhotra said in the news release.
The Committee’s impartial analysis is vital in supporting the government’s efforts to link skills, migration, and labor market policy.
It will also ensure that immigration is no longer used as an alternative to homegrown talent.
Key findings from the MAC’s 2024 Annual Report
The MAC’s 2024 Annual Report sheds light on migration trends and their impact on the UK labor market.
The UK’s net migration from 2021 to 2023 was notably high, driven by the increased number of international students and non-EU workers.
The Skilled Worker visa route, particularly for roles in health and care, saw a significant rise in applications.
The MAC’s report also found that migrants using this visa route contributed more to public funds than local British workers, as per the Financial Times.
The MAC’s figures show that migrants contributed an average of £3,000 compared to a UK-born adult’s £800 during the 2022-2023 period.
On the other hand, the number of health and care workers has dropped since November 2023.
The MAC attributes this decline to changes in how the ‘genuine vacancy test’ is assessed.
Additionally, banning health and care workers from bringing family members beginning March 2024 has influenced the number to continue to drop.
This and other immigration rule changes enforced in early 2024 by the previous government will likely bring down work-related immigration further.
Other changes include raising the annual salary threshold for skilled workers from £26,200 to £38,700.
Care firms that plan to employ migrant workers must register with the Care Quality Commission. (CQC).
This year, the MAC also contributed to launching the more restricted list of eligible jobs in the new Immigration Salary List.
Sector-specific migration challenges
The MAC’s fifth annual report highlights that labor shortages are not uniform across industries.
Some sectors, such as agriculture and hospitality, face shortages due to poor pay and working conditions rather than a lack of skilled workers.
This nuance underlines the need for tailored approaches to reducing migration reliance while addressing specific workforce needs.
The Seasonal Worker visa scheme, which the MAC also evaluates, also came under review.
The Committee advised that while it helps alleviate short-term labor shortages in agriculture, it requires more flexibility and better oversight.
Its recommendations on the Seasonal Worker route aim to prevent worker exploitation and ensure fair treatment.
Another review that the MAC did this year was on the Graduate Route, recommending that the route continue in its current form.
The Committee concluded that the Graduate Visa scheme has been fulfilling the objectives that were set for it in 2021.
However, it also recommended improving the regulations and transparency of those recruiting international students.
The MAC argued that this would help safeguard the reputation of the UK higher education sector.
Connecting immigration and skills policies
The UK Government’s vision includes reducing reliance on foreign labor by upskilling the domestic workforce.
Moving forward, the MAC has been tasked to collaborate with organizations like Skills England and the Department for Work and Pensions to achieve this goal.
However, the Committee emphasized that migration should complement—not replace—efforts to develop homegrown talent.
Professor Bell cautioned that addressing labor shortages requires more than just migration policies.
“Whilst we are expecting net migration to fall further, we would caution the government against seeing linking immigration and skills policy as a one-size-fits-all approach to bringing down net migration,” he wrote.
Its report also notes that some roles will likely continue to depend on migrant workers due to high demand and a lack of local alternatives.
The MAC’s future
The MAC cautions that its 2024 year-end analysis presented only a “snapshot in time.”
The Committee aims to improve its methodology to better understand the long-term impacts of migrants in the UK labor market.
Its ongoing review includes adjusting the family visa’s minimum income requirement for those who want to bring their families to the UK.
Another is the review of overseas hiring for jobs in the engineering and information technology or IT sectors.
Along with fulfilling their previous directive, the MAC can now focus on long-term migration trends analysis to help create sustainable policies.
“I am delighted to take on my role full-time,” Bell said, looking forward to collaborating with partners on their new tasks.
He also assured that the Committee will use its new resources to continue providing timely, evidence-based migration recommendations.
By equipping the MAC with more tools and expertise, the government aims to manage migration effectively.
It seeks to foster a balanced labor market that meets the needs of employers and communities alike.