"Public concern about migration is real shaped by pressures on housing, services and wages. But pollsters say that this is disproportionately driven by Reform UK supporters, who worry substantially more about immigration than voters backing far-right parties in Europe. That suggests that the politics of migration is more complex than headlines imply."
"In Britain, visas for overseas nurses have fallen by 93%, from 26,100 in 2022 to 1,777 in 2025. Care worker visas are down 97% over the same period. Social care providers are struggling to recruit; construction firms warn of delays; universities compete globally for talent."
"The tension between tighter controls and reliance on migrant labour is evident across Europe. Far-right Sweden Democrats support a government that raised repatriation grants from 800 to 30,000 per adult, only for local authorities to protest over fears that labour shortages would hit essential services."
The home secretary plans to extend the waiting period for settled status from five to ten years, following Denmark's approach to migration control. While public concern about migration is genuine, driven by pressures on housing, services, and wages, asylum flows represent only a small fraction of overall migration. Britain faces significant labour shortages in critical sectors including healthcare, construction, and social care. Visa numbers for overseas nurses have dropped 93% and care worker visas by 97% since 2022. Across Europe, similar tensions emerge between restrictive immigration policies and economic dependence on migrant workers, as evidenced by Sweden's experience with repatriation grants creating labour shortages in essential services.
#migration-policy #labour-shortages #healthcare-and-social-care #political-trade-offs #european-immigration
Read at www.theguardian.com
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