Policy options for future migration from the European Economic Area: Interim report

The United Kingdom: House of Commons: Home Affairs Committee published a report Policy options for future migration from the European Economic Area: Interim report on the 31 July 2018.

The Committee warned all those involved in the post-Brexit migration policy debate not to exploit or escalate tensions over immigration in the run up to the withdrawal agreement. The Committee criticised the Governments failure to set out detail on post-Brexit migration policy or to build consensus on immigration reform despite having over two years since the referendum in which to do so.

Continued delays to the publication of the White Paper on Immigration and the Immigration Bill had meant there was little indication of what immigration policy would be. Despite the fact that the issue was subject to heated and divisive debate during the referendum campaigns in 2016 the Government had not attempted to build consensus on immigration reform or consult the public over future migration policy in the two years since. The Committee believed this was a regrettable missed opportunity.

EU migration was an important part of UK history. The need for a good economic deal, the fact that the EU was our closest neighbour and trading partner, UK skills needed and shared economic, social and cultural bonds all meant that EU migration would remain important in future. The committee cautioned the Government against implying that the only EEA migration post-Brexit would be in the limited categories referred to in the Withdrawal White Paper, as that was not conducive to an honest or open debate. Nor should the Government make meeting the net migration target an objective of EEA migration policy as it was not working and should be replaced.

In the absence of detail from the Government, the Committee explored a range of post-Brexit immigration policy options which were set out in the report for Parliament and the public to inform the debate, including on the trade-offs between migration and trade. The Committee said it would wait for the Migration Advisory Committee's report in the autumn of 2018 before making further recommendations, and called on the Government to consult on options.

Background information

In July 2017, the Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to assess the impact on the UK labour market of the UK’s exit from the EU and how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. This was to provide the evidence base for UK migration after the implementation period in 2021.

• Primary Source

UK: Parliament: House of Commons: Committees: Home Affairs Committees: News, 31.07.18: Government should build migration consensus and engage in open debate https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/news-parliament-2017/post-brexit-migration-report-published-17-19/

UK: GOV.UK: Migration Advisory Committee https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/migration-advisory-committee

UK: GOV.UK: Migration Advisory Committee: Corporate Report, March 2018: EEA workers in the UK labour market: interim update http://www.europeansources.info/record/eea-workers-in-the-uk-labour-market-interim-update/

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