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Our public services depend on EU migrants Our public services depend on EU migrants
(2 months later)
Alan Johnson, a leading Labour campaigner to stay in the EU, likes to tell a joke that “if you bump into an east European in A&E, it is more than likely that they’re there to treat you.”Alan Johnson, a leading Labour campaigner to stay in the EU, likes to tell a joke that “if you bump into an east European in A&E, it is more than likely that they’re there to treat you.”
With more than 40,000 EU migrants working in the NHS, it is a joke with more than a grain of truth. At the latest count more than 600,000 of the 2.1 million EU migrants working in Britain were working in public sector jobs.With more than 40,000 EU migrants working in the NHS, it is a joke with more than a grain of truth. At the latest count more than 600,000 of the 2.1 million EU migrants working in Britain were working in public sector jobs.
So what effect would leaving the EU have on Britain’s European public sector workforce and the public services they help to keep going? Leave campaigners have sent out mixed messages over what exactly their immigration policy will be in the event of Brexit. Some have argued that Britain would want to remain part of the single market and so continue with elements of free movement of labour.So what effect would leaving the EU have on Britain’s European public sector workforce and the public services they help to keep going? Leave campaigners have sent out mixed messages over what exactly their immigration policy will be in the event of Brexit. Some have argued that Britain would want to remain part of the single market and so continue with elements of free movement of labour.
Related: Gove: EU immigrant influx will make NHS unsustainable by 2030
But a joint statement by Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Priti Patel, suggested they would reject that option and instead impose an “Australian-style points system” on EU migrants. Existing migrants who are lawfully in Britain will be treated no less favourably than they are now.But a joint statement by Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Priti Patel, suggested they would reject that option and instead impose an “Australian-style points system” on EU migrants. Existing migrants who are lawfully in Britain will be treated no less favourably than they are now.
So what about future EU migrants? The Oxford University-based Migration Observatory says uncertainty over future policy makes it very difficult to predict what would happen but it is clear that some key parts of the public sector, including public administration, health, social care and education depend on EU migrants. The most visible public sector occupations for EU migrants are NHS nurses and doctors. The government’s migration advisory committee says that most of the 8,000 foreign-born nurses who have been recruited in the past five years have come from EU countries, especially Italy, Spain and Portugal.So what about future EU migrants? The Oxford University-based Migration Observatory says uncertainty over future policy makes it very difficult to predict what would happen but it is clear that some key parts of the public sector, including public administration, health, social care and education depend on EU migrants. The most visible public sector occupations for EU migrants are NHS nurses and doctors. The government’s migration advisory committee says that most of the 8,000 foreign-born nurses who have been recruited in the past five years have come from EU countries, especially Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Nursing is an official shortage occupation, allowing health trusts to recruit nurses from outside Europe, because not enough nurses of good enough quality could be found within Britain and Europe. This may prove a short-term measure and NHS bosses hope to be able to train enough British nurses to meet their needs within the next three years, but it suggests that nursing and some medical roles, including doctors, will be on any Brexiter’s list of occupations that might qualify under their “points-based immigration system”.Nursing is an official shortage occupation, allowing health trusts to recruit nurses from outside Europe, because not enough nurses of good enough quality could be found within Britain and Europe. This may prove a short-term measure and NHS bosses hope to be able to train enough British nurses to meet their needs within the next three years, but it suggests that nursing and some medical roles, including doctors, will be on any Brexiter’s list of occupations that might qualify under their “points-based immigration system”.
A 2011 study by Dustmann and Frattini of the impact of migration on public services suggested that there has already been a shift by EU migrants away from the health sector to education. They note that immigrants from the European Economic Area made up 40% of the health and social work sector in 1994-96 but this had declined to 29% by 2008-10. About 4% of GPs – 1,600 – working in Britain qualified to practise in other EU countries.A 2011 study by Dustmann and Frattini of the impact of migration on public services suggested that there has already been a shift by EU migrants away from the health sector to education. They note that immigrants from the European Economic Area made up 40% of the health and social work sector in 1994-96 but this had declined to 29% by 2008-10. About 4% of GPs – 1,600 – working in Britain qualified to practise in other EU countries.
Related: Royal College of Midwives supportive of Britain's EU membership
Over the same period, the proportion of EEA migrants in the education workforce rose from 27% to 37.5%. The evidence shows that those working in education, particularly higher education, are likely to be the kind of highly-skilled graduates who would qualify under any points-based programme. The largest group of EU migrants working in schools are likely to be those from Irish Republic, whom the Leavers have already said would be exempted from any general clampdown on EU migration.Over the same period, the proportion of EEA migrants in the education workforce rose from 27% to 37.5%. The evidence shows that those working in education, particularly higher education, are likely to be the kind of highly-skilled graduates who would qualify under any points-based programme. The largest group of EU migrants working in schools are likely to be those from Irish Republic, whom the Leavers have already said would be exempted from any general clampdown on EU migration.
One sector that could face the full force of the Brexiters’ migration curbs is social care. There was no NHS-style organised recruitment programme in the social care sector but many care homes saw a rapid growth in Polish and other east European staff after the expansion of the EU in 2005. Despite shortages of staff in these jobs, the government has always resisted listing them as shortage occupations because they regard social care as unskilled work.One sector that could face the full force of the Brexiters’ migration curbs is social care. There was no NHS-style organised recruitment programme in the social care sector but many care homes saw a rapid growth in Polish and other east European staff after the expansion of the EU in 2005. Despite shortages of staff in these jobs, the government has always resisted listing them as shortage occupations because they regard social care as unskilled work.
It is low-skilled migrants who are the likely target of any new curb on EU migration. The Social Market Foundation has estimated that as many as 88% of the jobs filled by EU migrants would be closed to them under a points-based visa system.It is low-skilled migrants who are the likely target of any new curb on EU migration. The Social Market Foundation has estimated that as many as 88% of the jobs filled by EU migrants would be closed to them under a points-based visa system.
Most of those are in the private sector but some key areas of the public sector would be hit too. The challenge for the first post-Brexit government would be how to persuade Britons to do those often dirty or tedious jobs such as picking fruit or wiping elderly people’s bottoms that EU migrants are prepared to do now.Most of those are in the private sector but some key areas of the public sector would be hit too. The challenge for the first post-Brexit government would be how to persuade Britons to do those often dirty or tedious jobs such as picking fruit or wiping elderly people’s bottoms that EU migrants are prepared to do now.
As for the claim that British hospitals and GP surgeries would not be so full, a UCL study showed that EU migrants who have come since 2000 are most likely to be single people in their 20s and 30s – the age group least likely to usehealth services. With EU migrants accounting for 10% of all NHS doctors and 4% of NHS nurses they are indeed more likely to be treating you than sitting next to you in the queue for A&E.As for the claim that British hospitals and GP surgeries would not be so full, a UCL study showed that EU migrants who have come since 2000 are most likely to be single people in their 20s and 30s – the age group least likely to usehealth services. With EU migrants accounting for 10% of all NHS doctors and 4% of NHS nurses they are indeed more likely to be treating you than sitting next to you in the queue for A&E.