The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2019-21
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2019-21 was introduced by the Home Secretary Priti Patel in the House of Commons and it was given its First Reading on 04 March 2020
On the 18 May 2020, the Bill passed the Second Reading with 351 Ayes and 252 Noes.
The Bill does not set out the future immigration system, which will apply to EU and non-EU citizens who move to the UK after the transition period. The future immigration system will be provided for in the Immigration Rules. The Immigration Rules are some of the most important pieces of legislation that make up the UK’s immigration law.
The new points-based immigration system is said to put an end to the EU rules on free movement, and give the UK flexibility and control over its borders while attracting talent from abroad and complementing domestic skills. From 1 January 2021, freedom of movement will end, and the UK will introduce the UK’s points-based system. Some information on the new points-based immigration system has been offered by HM in a Policy Statement in February 2020 and The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has produced reports to respond to the Home Secretary request on a points-based system immigration system.
The Home Secretary, Priti Patel said after the Second Reading of the Immigration Bill:
“This historic piece of legislation gives the UK full control of our immigration system for the first time in decades and the power to determine who comes to this country.
Our new points-based system is firmer, fairer, and simpler. It will attract the people we need to drive our economy forward and lay the foundation for a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy.”
The Bill will enter in a few weeks the Committee Stage where there will be a line by line examination of the Bill
The Committee can take evidence from experts and evidence groups from outside Parliament. Amendments (proposals for change) for discussion are selected by the chairman of the committee and only members of the committee can vote on amendments during the committee stage.
The fashion and artistic creation (creatives) combined had a turnover of £84.4b in 2017 and employed more than 730,000 people in the same year, as released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Fashion Roundtable is expecting updated statistics for 2019. Fashion and textiles industry’s technical jobs are not on the new shortage occupation list. The APPG for Textiles and Fashion convened a meeting last year to investigate the sentiments regarding changes to freedom of movement and the future of UK manufacturing, with factory owners and the then Home Office Minister Caroline Nokes in attendance. Fashion Roundtable engaged with the sector, as well as academics, machinists and government officials to highlight the concerns of the industry at this lack of inclusion on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) visa list for our growing UK manufacturing sector. A loss of skilled workers across the industry’s extended supply chain would impact the vibrant fashion sector and could trigger manufacturers to move from the UK to EU territory. The lack of state education provision for sewing into FE is highlighting the need for largely EU workers within the UK garment industry, at the very least until domicile talent is trained and hired.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has launched a call for evidence consultation on SOL to hear organisations' views on the roles that are being filled by migrant workers, the salaries they are paid and implications of potential changes. The call for evidence is open until 254 July 2020.
While a general emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Education, the new T levels courses are coming in September 2020
T levels will follow GCSEs and will be equivalent to a 3 A levels. These two years of courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work.
T courses taught at Fashion Enter Fashion Enter is a not for profit, a social enterprise which aims to be a centre of excellence for sampling, grading, production and for learning and development of skills within the fashion and textiles industry. Fashion Enter has implemented different T courses: ‘Pattern Cutting Taster Course’, ‘Pattern Cutting Master Course’, ‘Production Pattern Cutting’, ‘Gerber for beginners’, ‘Vetigraph Digital Patterns’.
Fashion Roundtable is advocating for the garment workers and more creatives profiles to be added to the SOL visa list. Fashion Roundtable is working to understand this challenge, and also where is the education coming into the sector for UK workers across London and the UK.
Recommended readings from the House of Commons Library:
Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2019-21, 13 May 2020
The new points-based immigration system, 11 May 2020
Post-Brexit immigration system proposals: responses from stakeholders, 3 March 2020
Maria Stoica
Manuel Rinaldi