REC calls for positive debate on immigration policy

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) today reacted to Home Secretary Charles Clarke’s proposed new measures on immigration by highlighting the crucial importance of an effective managed migration policy for business and for the UK labour market.

The REC’s monthly Report on Jobs - which is conducted in association with Deloitte and NTC research - shows that the demand for staff has risen continuously for the last 18 months and that skills shortages are continuing to grow. The report breaks the figures down across a number of key sectors including; health, IT, blue collar, engineering and construction. This underlines the benefits and need for effective managed migration within the UK labour market.

As the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, the REC welcomes any measures that will help address illegal working in the UK. At present a huge onus has been placed on employers and recruitment agencies under Section 8 of the Asylum & Immigration Act. Recent changes to the types of document that need be checked have created substantial additional bureaucracy and uncertainty and any measures to alleviate some of this burden would be welcomed.

Commenting on Charles Clark’s plans, Gareth Osborne, Managing Director of the REC, said: A flexible but regulated migration policy is essential in order to help fill skills gaps in the UK labour market. Beyond the political rhetoric, it is important to recognise the potential benefits of managed migration and to address the practical implications of any new measures for the UK labour market and for business. The recruitment industry will play an increasingly important role in helping those job seekers who are legitimately entitled to work in the UK and in helping employers to access both temporary and full time employees with the necessary skills.

The recruitment industry is playing an increasingly important front-line role in the fight against illegal working and is crucial to ensure that effective enforcement is in place to clamp down on rogue operators who flout regulations and are able to undercut law-abiding agencies.

For managed migration to work - whether through a points system or other means - it is essential to identify the specific sectors where skills shortages and to recognise the contribution that genuine asylum seekers and immigrant workers can bring to the UK labour market. At the same time it is essential to maximise these potential benefits by providing workers and employers with effective guidance and signposting.