UK plans to ease immigration rules

Britain’s Chancellor of Finance Jeremy Hunt said immigration rules for some labor-short sectors could be eased in the short term and he would be “pragmatic” about it.

In his speech at the British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference, Hunt stressed that the immigration issue is the main factor in the Brexit deal.

“This was a decision to transform our economic model from low-skilled, borderless immigrants to a highly-skilled, wage-earning economy,” Hunt said.

Noting that immigrants can still play a role in the workforce when assessing the employment potential of UK companies in the country, Hunt said:

“We will always be pragmatic. For example, we included retirement homes in the list of sectors with labor shortages, as well as some areas of the construction sector… We continue to negotiate with other sectors as well. In sectors where there are labor shortages, we can relax immigration rules at short notice. We will be logical and pragmatic with the migratory criteria in sectors where difficulties are experienced, taking advantage of our great potential in the country”.

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU), many EU citizens returned home, leading to labor shortages in major UK sectors. The government, for its part, intends to control and reduce immigration to the country. (AA)