PLUMMETING visa numbers have sparked a warning that falling levels of migration could put further strain on the struggling NHS.
Tory visa rule changes before the election have triggered a sharp fall in the number of visas being issued for students and immigrants looking to work in the beleaguered health and social care sector.
They have been maintained by the new Labour Government – but a top immigration think tank has said that keeping the tough new rules risked putting more pressure on the health service and universities.
The number of visas issued for skilled health and social care workers and students fell by more than a third in July to 91,300 compared with last year, The Times reports.
Monthly applications for health and social care visas have plummeted, with an 82% drop to 2900 in July, while the number of foreigners applying to study at UK universities has fallen by 15% to 69,500.
The figures have sparked calls for the Scottish Government to be given new powers over immigration, to boost the number of people moving to the country.
The Migration Observatory at Oxford University, a leading think tank, has attributed the fall to tough new rules introduced by the previous Conservative government – which may help Keir Starmer deliver on his pledge to slash immigration figures.
But the organisation warned it is likely to put pressure on two already struggling sectors, which rely on money and labour brought in by immigration.
The previous Conservative government banned those coming to work on health and social care visas from bringing family with them, a policy Labour have kept in place since coming to power.
While Labour have pledged to improve pay and conditions for health and social care workers, so as to make the sector more attractive to Britons, they have been less clear on whether they will keep Tory restrictions on foreign students.
While Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (below) has confirmed that the graduate route visa – which allows students from abroad to stay in the UK for two years after graduating, a policy the Tories had threatened to axe – will remain, it remains unclear whether other restrictions will be kept.
The Tories oversaw a record low in student visa applications after banning masters students from bringing their families to the UK while studying.
Labour have also binned Tory plans to increase the minimum earnings threshold for the spouses of migrants.
Ben Brindle, a researcher with the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, said: “It’s very probable that the government will be successful in its aim to reduce net migration — in good part to changes that were made by the previous government — but that there are always trade-offs: falls in student numbers could create problems for university finances.
“And if the decline in health and care visas is because people are put off applying because of new rules, rather than a fall in demand, then it could signal further workforce problems for the health and care sector.”
SNP MSP Clare Adamson called for immigration powers to be devolved to Holyrood.
She said: "Westminster immigration policies are damaging both Scotland's economy and our ability to deliver vital public services - the Labour UK Government must scrap these Tory-implemented visa rules.
"This drop in the number of visas being issued to health and social care workers is extremely concerning - without an immediate reversal of this policy, pressure will only increase on NHS Scotland, making the task of reducing waiting lists increasingly difficult.
"The SNP is calling on the Labour party to reject the Tories obsession with arbitrary immigration targets and put our public services first - the UK government must scrap these damaging policies or devolve the powers to Scotland so we can build an immigration system that works for us."
Greens MSP Maggie Chapman added: "The last 14 years of Tory-inflicted anti-migrant policies have not just been deeply immoral, they have also been hugely damaging for our economy, our society, and for services like the NHS that we all rely on.
"Lots of industries and sectors are crying out for more workers. They can see the damage that has been done by a disastrous Tory Brexit that Labour wants to uphold, and the punishing restrictions that are only serving as a deterrent to people moving here."
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We have set out a clear plan to bring down historically high levels of legal migration by tackling the root causes behind high international recruitment.
"By linking immigration, [the] labour market and skills systems we will ensure we train up our homegrown workforce and address the shortage of skills.
"Immigration brings many benefits to the UK, but it must be controlled and delivered through a fair system.”
