Civils contractors have welcomed the government’s announcement of an investigation into migration from the EU in order to set up a new immigration system by 2019.
Home secretary Amber Rudd is to commission the independent Migration Advisory Committee to carry out a detailed analysis of the economic and social contributions and costs of EU citizens in Britain.
It is expected a new immigration system will be in place by March 2019 when the free movement of people between the EU and the UK ends.
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Announcing the study, Rudd also said the government would seek a transitional arrangement, likely to involve the continuation of free movement, to ensure there would be no “cliff edge” for employers or EU nationals in the country.
However, the report is due to be completed in September 2018, just six months before the UK’s scheduled date for leaving the EU.
With nearly 200,000 EU workers in the UK the construction industry has been vocal about the need for the government to make it a priority to guarantee the status of existing EU nationals currently working in the UK.
Director of external affairs for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, Marie-Claude Hemming, said: “It is a positive development that the government has recognised that it must put in place a migration system that mitigates the potential impact of Brexit on the different sectors of the British economy.
“The construction sector requires more than 35,000 new workers per year, and requires flexibility in its workforce if it is to meet demand.
“A key part of mitigating any potential impacts of Brexit must be the immediate guarantee of the rights of EU construction workers living in the UK to ensure those who are helping to build the future health of the UK economy can continue to do so post-Brexit.
“It is also important that the government provides the certainty business needs by setting out at the earliest opportunity how EU migration will occur in any potential ‘transition’ period after March 2019.
