The latest crackdown on legal immigration to the UK has come into force these days . A novelty, played by Rishi Sunak's conservative government in an attempt to recover consensus in an election year marked so far by disastrous polls, which is destined to fall, among others, on young Europeans (including Italians) who continue to be attracted by the chances of the island's employment market even after Brexit.
The crackdown is focused in particular on migrants entering the country as "skilled workers" . And it foresees a surge from 26,200 to 38,700 pounds per year (approximately 45,000 euros) for the minimum threshold of the contract required to grant a work visa to foreigners called to cover roles and tasks in economic sectors often plagued by a serious shortage of workforce in the Kingdom.
The decision was made after the 2022 data. In that year, despite Brexit, new entries registered were 745 thousand. And now the goal is to reach 300 thousand units per year, while at the same time encouraging the entry of only qualified personnel.
Currently, more than 550,000 Italians are registered with Aire , the register of foreign residents in the United Kingdom. 30% are young people under 30 . New rules will soon also come into force for students and social-healthcare or low-skill workers.
Then there is the issue linked to visas that are issued to join a family member who is already in the United Kingdom. Here too, a higher minimum wage will be necessary, effectively making family reunification more difficult.
(Unioneonline/vl)
