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Family and Work Visas
13 November 2024
Lead MP
Claire Hanna
Belfast South and Mid Down
SDLP
Responding Minister
Seema Malhotra
Tags
ImmigrationCrime & Law EnforcementEmploymentNorthern IrelandForeign Affairs
Word Count: 9114
Other Contributors: 7
At a Glance
Claire Hanna raised concerns about family and work visas in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Hanna asks the government to reform aspects of the visa rules that are detrimental to Northern Ireland's economy and public services. She suggests flexible regional differences in visa policies and advocates for solutions like a bespoke visa for the mushroom industry and concessions for ferry workers.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Claire Hanna is concerned about the negative impact of recent changes to family and work visas on Northern Ireland's economy and public services. She highlights issues such as lower wages, competition for talent with the Republic of Ireland, and specific challenges in sectors like healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, fishing, and agriculture. The average wage for a care worker is £11.58 per hour, which makes it difficult to attract essential workers from overseas due to family separation restrictions. She also mentions race hate incidents fuelled by media hype and political rhetoric.
Alicia Kearns
Con
Rutland and Stamford
Welcomed the debate, acknowledging the hon. Member for Belfast South and Mid Down's efforts on this issue. Stressed the importance of a migration system that prioritises skills and talent while protecting UK residents. Highlighted the reduction in visa applications following recent policy changes, noting 15,200 applications between April and September 2024, marking an 83% decrease compared to previous periods. Emphasised the need for swift action based on the Migration Advisory Committee's review of financial requirements in family member immigration rules.
Jas Athwal
Lab
Ilford South
The speaker highlighted the difficulties faced by families due to a hostile visa system, citing over 15 cases in his constituency. He shared the story of Dr Siddiqui, who was separated from his wife and daughter due to visa restrictions, which led to significant hardship before an intervention allowed their reunion. The speaker argued that such barriers deter essential talent like medical professionals and social workers.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon focuses on the plight of the fishing sector, mentioning challenges such as reliance on overseas crews and reduced profits due to skilled worker visa changes. He also discusses issues with ferry services, highlighting the risk to essential trade routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Jim Shannon expressed concerns about the impact of ferry routes on Northern Ireland's economy and trade, highlighting issues with the Northern Ireland protocol. He emphasised the importance of protecting ferry routes as national infrastructure and called for a commitment from the Government to find solutions with Stena Line and its parent company. Shannon also highlighted the seasonal nature of fishermen's work and their need for a visa programme allowing them to bring in workers for specific periods, urging more meetings between stakeholders.
Lisa Smart
Lib Dem
Hazel Grove
Ms Lisa Smart highlighted the flaws in the current visa system, citing an arbitrary salary threshold of £38,700 that disadvantages industries such as hospitality and social care. She argued for a merit-based approach to work visas, tailored to each sector's needs, and called for control over work visas and policies for international students to be moved out of the Home Office. Ms Smart also advocated for reversing increased minimum income thresholds for family visas, which she described as failing families due to their lack of compassion.
Robbie Moore
Con
Keighley and Ilkley
The speaker discussed the issue of spouse visa abuse, noting a rise in cases where individuals report domestic abuse to expedite their path to settled status at no cost. He cited nine recent cases where claims of abuse led to no further police action but caused stress for families. The speaker proposed that if a relationship breaks down due to alleged domestic abuse, the spouse should be returned home once safety concerns are addressed.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
He expressed concern about the family visa minimum income requirement, stating that raising it from £29,000 to £38,700 will divide families. He questioned the policy's impact on child poverty, development, and welfare, urging the minister to assess its effect on splitting up children from their parents or separating couples due to financial restrictions. Tim also highlighted the need for skilled work visas in areas like the Lake District, which relies heavily on hospitality and tourism industries with a shortage of local talent. He cited evidence showing that 80% of working-age population works in these sectors, indicating an urgent need for legal migration to address labour shortages.
Wendy Chamberlain
Lib Dem
North East Fife
The hon. Member highlighted issues with the seasonal agricultural worker scheme, noting that its annual extension is a challenge for farmers who need a more stable window to invest in technology and equipment. Ms Wendy Chamberlain highlighted the arbitrary nature of family work visa rules and their negative impact on various sectors such as hospitality, care, medicine, and dentistry. She pointed out that local businesses struggle to maintain staff due to these restrictions. Furthermore, she raised concerns about a constituent who was granted asylum but has not received a response for his family reunion visa application after seven months. Chamberlain also questioned the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme's stage 2 pathway, expressing worry over its time limit and short application window, which may have excluded some families from reuniting.
Government Response
Seema Malhotra
Government Response
The Minister thanked the hon. Member for Belfast South and Mid Down for securing the debate, acknowledging her efforts in assisting her community during challenging times. She addressed concerns about caseworking quality and public confidence in immigration systems, emphasizing the need for fairness and transparency. The Government recognises and values the contribution of overseas workers to the economy and healthcare services but aims to manage net migration levels through regulatory changes, including salary requirements for international care workers and the removal of dependent application rights. A new framework linking the Migration Advisory Committee's work with Skills England is established to support a more coherent approach to migration, skills, and labour market issues. The Minister highlighted the importance of high evidence standards for safeguarding routes such as domestic abuse protections. Concerns about regional differences in immigration rules were addressed, noting that different salary thresholds could harm system integrity and complexity for employers. She committed to meeting with officials from DEFRA regarding the fishing industry's labour shortage concerns and would write to the hon. Member for North East Fife regarding Afghan schemes. The Minister also paused any further increases to the minimum incomes requirement for family immigration rules, commissioning the MAC to review financial requirements over approximately nine months.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.