LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2019) Michael Gove, the UK state secretary for Environment, food and Rural Affairs, called for flexible immigration rules for skilled workers to be introduced after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union in order to avoid worker shortages in various industries.
Back in December, the UK government revealed a white paper for post-Brexit immigration rules. The plan envisages, among other things, setting a 30,000 pound ($38,530) salary cap for skilled migrant workers. The measure has been met with criticism both inside and outside the cabinet. Particularly, some officials have warned that it might affect specific areas like science.
"One of the points that I have made to the home secretary and others is that we look flexibly at how we interpret what a skilled worker is in line with specific industries," Gove told Scottish lawmakers, as quoted by the LBC broadcaster, on Wednesday.
The state secretary warned against establishing the salary threshold saying it was not "responsive to particular needs" for various sectors of the economy.
The United Kingdom was supposed to leave the European Union on March 29. London and Brussels have agreed on a withdrawal deal, but UK lawmakers have refused to pass it with the arrangement to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland being one of the main points of concern for the parliamentarians.
The Brexit deadline was subsequently moved to October 31.
