CBI submission to the Migration Advisory Committee

People and skills are at the heart of UK prosperity and the competitiveness of businesses with operations here. The prospect of new immigration rules and uncertainty about the status of EU workers are among the issues most frequently raised by CBI members since the UK’s decision to leave the EU, and ensuring that companies can access the right skills and effort is essential to unlocking the full potential of industrial strategy.

EU migration has boosted jobs, investment and trade. It is equally clear however, that uncertainty is undermining long-term confidence, and that it is already damaging the ability of companies to recruit and retain key workers.

To best support the industrial strategy and maintain the benefits of EU migration, a new immigration system must:

1. Ensure frictionless access to the skilled workers that businesses need, not only to the ‘brightest and best’
2. Provide access to labour required to fill regional and sectoral shortages
3. Meet the diverse needs of all regions and nations of the UK
4. Allow businesses to easily move staff to and from Europe
5. Restore public confidence that migration is being effectively managed.