Great Britain: employers’ body overwhelmingly rejects the government’s post-Brexit immigration plan

On 19 December, and with the 100-day countdown to Brexit just underway, the UK government unveiled its much-awaited Post-Europe Immigration white paper. Key measures in the plan include the creation of a one-year work permit for low skilled workers coming from abroad (worldwide) as well as the establishment of a minimum salary offer that aims to attract highly skilled workers to come to the UK. The plan is set to come into force on a progressive basis from 2021, i.e. at the end of the transition period, and become effective by 2025. However the vast majority of businesses have scorned the project, as has the employers body the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
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UK PM Theresa May’s team has clearly stated its objectives, namely as soon as the UK leave Europe, the UK will put an end to the free movement of people, lower the number of immigrants entering the UK, and ignore immigrants’ country of origin to privilege skills instead, so that UK employers can access the talent they seek across the globe. Thus as of 2021, the UK will eliminate the number of annually authorized working permits, replacing them instead with new measures. The first of these conce

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