EU immigration proposals ‘disastrous’ for hospitality industry
Parts of Britain’s hospitality industry have lashed out at the government’s new EU immigration proposals, with the sector’s leading trade body calling them “disastrous”.
The government’s long-awaited post-Brexit immigration proposals were released last night.
From January, all EU immigration applicants will need to speak English, have a job offer in the UK with a salary of at least £25,600 and to have never been given a custodial sentence of 12 months or more.
The points-based system will also preference people who have job offers in areas where there are skills shortages or if they have tertiary qualifications.
Home secretary Priti Patel today said the government wanted to ensure that “economically inactive” Britons take the place of low-skilled foreigners.
However, concerns have been aired in the hospitality industry that the new system will cripple the sector and create large labour shortages.
Chief executive of trade association UKHospitality Kate Nicholls said the new rules would be “disastrous” for the hospitality industry, which largely relies on EU immigration.
A 2017 KPMG report, commissioned by the British Hospitality Association, found between 12 and 24 per cent of the UK’s hospitality sector workforce were EU nationals.
“Business must be given time to adapt,” Nicholls said.
“These proposals will cut off future growth and expansion and deter investment in Britain’s high streets.
“It will lead to reduced levels of service for customers and business closures. Hospitality is already facing an acute labour shortage, despite investing significantly in skills, training and increasing apprenticeships for the domestic workforce.”
Food and drink companies have been warning since the 2016 EU referendum that companies would be hit by new immigration restrictions.
Pret a Manger, for example, said in 2017 that only one-in-50 of their applicants were British citizens.
Bronte Aurell, owner of Fitzrovia deli ScandiKitchen, runs regular “Buns n Brexit” sessions to help EU citizens living in London register for settled status.
She said the sector was “already suffering severe staff shortages” and the new rules would only make it worse.
She said: “How is limiting a pool of able people who are ready to help going to assist this already tricky vacancy situation in London?”
British steakhouse chain Hawksmoor today tweeted that the proposals showed that the government was not “interested in our industry”.
It added: “Quite apart from tax receipts and general employment numbers, which are astronomical, I heard someone in the industry in the states say ‘we give Americans their first jobs’.
“There’s no doubt in my mind as a direct result of this proposal not only will restaurants close, employment go down and tax receipts fall, but it will put British people out of work, up and down the supply chain.”
CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said labour shortages could be a very real problem under the new immigration system.
“With already low unemployment, firms in care, construction, hospitality, food and drink could be most affected,” she said.