Calls for stricter immigration control have featured prominently in British political discourse ever since the latest waves of mass migration to the UK began in the 1950s. A large section of the British public believes that there is an over-supply of low-skilled and unskilled migrants, as well as an excessive concentration of recent immigrants within the south-east of the British mainland. The fear of “uncontrolled immigration” is widespread. With Brexit on the horizon, controlling the flow of migrants has become a major legislative priority for the incumbent government, as well as a vote- winning strategy in the event of an imminent General Election.
The Boris Johnson government proposed a package of 22 bills in the Queen’s Speech on October 14 2019. This includes the Immigration and Social Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill. An Australian-style points-based system will apparently form the basis of a new immigration system that will replace the current freedom of movement between the UK and the EU 27 from the beginning of 2021. Priority will be given to skilled applicants who are prepared to work away from London and the south-east, in less prosperous parts of Britain, such as in northern England and in coastal cities.
Points-based immigration is not a new concept as far as the UK is concerned. Back in 2008, the Gordon Brown government introduced a points-based five tier visa system for migrants coming from outside the EEA to work, study or train in the UK. Tier 1, “high-value migrants”, and Tier 2, “skilled workers”, are at the top of this pyramid of tiers. The main difference from the Australian system is that the system is largely employer- or demand-driven, and Tier 2 visa applicants have to be sponsored by employers for the specific jobs to which they have already been appointed to.
The government proposes to introduce a points-based selection system to rank and prioritise all applicants for a work visa in the UK. Calls to introduce the Australian points-based system to the UK were made by Nigel Farage, then leader of UKIP (UK Independence Party) in 2015 and have subsequently been repeated by many other prominent right-wing politicians. It is worth noting that many other countries, such as Canada and New Zealand, also use a point-based system to select skilled migrant workers.
To get some background. it is worth looking at how the Australian immigration system evolved and and how it currently operates. Historically, Australia operated a restrictive and discriminatory immigration policy. The White Australia policy was formally initiated in 1901. The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 led to the screening out of prospective non-white immigrants through the administration of a “European language”-dictation test, where those likely to be proficient in English were deliberately tested in another language, such as Welsh or Gaelic!. Various initiatives thereafter, such as the Ten Pounds Poms scheme, ensured a continuous supply of white immigrants to Australia. The assisted passage scheme, in particular, brought around 1.5 million people to Australia from the UK and Ireland between 1945 and 1982. Following the Second World War, white immigration was further boosted by large numbers of new arrivals from southern and central Europe, including Greeks, Italians, Serbs and Croats.
The White Australia policy was finally ended by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1973. Since then, Australia has transformed itself into a multi-ethnic nation, taking in, for example, 95,000 Vietnamese people under a humanitarian programme over the ten years since the fall of Saigon in 1975. The nation has gone on to adopt a more liberal immigration policy. The ostensible purpose of the Australian points-based system is not to restrict immigration, as is planned for the UK, but rather to encourage appropriately skilled workers to move to Australia in larger numbers, even in the absence of an actual job offer.
The Australian points system is based on a number of criteria, which include age of the applicant, nominated occupation, English language proficiency, skilled occupation, educational qualifications, Australian qualifications, regional study. community language skills, spouse/partner skills and qualifications, professional year, nominations and sponsorship. These criteria form part of the General Skilled Migration programme, which replaced all previous skilled immigration worker visa schemes in 2012/2013.
The points system favours younger people, those with an occupation on the Skilled Occupations List, and those with an Australian education or previous work experience in Australia. English language proficiency is determined by the IELTS (International English Language System) test as required. Sponsorship is more likely to be achieved by applicants for jobs in designated areas of need, such as doctors and nurses applying to work in under-provided-for areas in rural Australia. The successful grant of a visa to work in Australia requires a minimum score of 60 points from the General Skilled Migration points table.
The proposed British points system highlights the tensions inherent to the formulation of acceptable and viable immigration policy. Immigrants are frequently driven by their personal needs to uplift their finances or to live in freer societies, desires which may be in direct conflict with a country’s willingness to accept them with open arms. On the other hand, immigration control seeks to match a country’s workforce needs with the numbers and skill sets of potential “otherwise suitable”immigrants. Getting the balance right in terms of actual numbers remains a challenge. In particular, it is unclear how incentives will be provided, and opportunities identified, to attract skilled migrant workers to areas of socio-economic deprivation in the UK.
Ashis Banerjee (twice appointed to jobs in Australia-in 1999 and 2007)