Cliff Notes
- Nigel Farage proposes allowing essential migration in areas with skill shortages but intends to cap the numbers, with details to be announced in four years’ time.
- He supports time-dependent work permits for filling skill gaps, emphasising that those permitted to work will not have long-term residency rights.
- Farage indicated his backing for the government’s ban on overseas care workers but remains sceptical about the effectiveness of the proposed measures.
Nigel Farage says he would allow essential migration but numbers would be capped
Nigel Farage has said he would allow some essential migration in areas with skill shortages but that numbers would be capped. Which essentially is the same policy as the existing government.
The Reform UK leader said he would announce the cap “in four years’ time” after he was pressed repeatedly about his manifesto pledge to freeze “non-essential” immigration.
It was put to Mr Farage that despite his criticism of the government’s migration crackdown, allowing essential migration in his own plans is quite a big caveat given the UK’s skills shortages.
However the Clacton MP said he would allow people to plug the gaps on “time dependent work permits” rather than on longer-term visas.
He said: “Let’s take engineering, for argument’s sake. We don’t train enough engineers, we just don’t. It’s crazy.
“We’ve been pushing young people to doing social sciences degrees or whatever it is.
“So you’re an engineering company, you need somebody to come in on skills. If they come in, on a time dependent work permit, if all the right health assurances and levies have been paid and if at the end of that period of time, you leave or you’re forced to leave, then it works.”