Although the government has waived the application fee for EU Settled Status applications there still remains much confusion around what future immigration will be allowed in the case of a no deal Brexit, says the Freight Transport Association.
“European workers are a key supporter of the UK’s complex supply chain, undertaking vital roles in all areas of moving goods and services across the country to support manufacturers, retailers, schools, and individuals,” said Gilson. And as a no-deal Brexit edges closer each day without any confirmation on who can work here, when and how, the “lack of clarity is jeopardising peoples’ jobs, and their lives in the UK,” said Freight Transport Association head of skills Sally Gilson.
In December 2018 the government published the White Paper for Future Immigration, during which a consultation on the salary threshold for EU workers was promised. “That has not been forthcoming,” said Freight Transport Association head of skills Sally Gilson.
“Employers need to know whether they can recruit outside of UK post Brexit for roles earning under £30,000? Will job offers starting after 29 March still stand? Will a system be ready to check the right to work? Will frontier workers, who live in the EU but commute to jobs here, still be free to work in the UK?” asked Gilson.
Until the Future Immigration White Paper still to be ratified, businesses cannot make plans for their workforce after March. The FTA finds this to be “unacceptable after two years in which government could have clarified the situation to ensure consistency in the supply chain,” said Gilson. “It seems ludicrous that government has itself confirmed that businesses cannot check EU workers’ right to work until a suitable system is in place.”
