Vince Cable calls for skilled migrant cap to be scrapped or risk economic recovery in letter to Theresa May
The cap on skilled migrant workers is damaging the UK's economic recovery according to Business Secretary Vince Cable.
Cable has written to the Home Secretary Theresa May urging her to scrap the cap on skilled migrants coming to work in the UK from outside the European Union because it’s a “barrier to British growth”.
The Lib Dem minister is calling on the Conservative Home Secretary to end the restrictions, first introduced in 2011, as the limit of 20,700 a year is close to being exceeded for the first time, the FT reports.
If ministers don’t scrap the restrictions, Cable suggests the allocations from previous years should be rolled over to this year. Last year 6,780 visas remained unallocated.
According to the latest figures, the monthly allocation of 1,725 was exceeded in June, July and August which if it continues could see the limit exceeded.
The cap, part of the Tory policy to reduce immigration numbers to tens of thousands, has previously been widely criticised by business groups for holding back the UK economy.