BRITAIN will relax its immigration rules to attract more elite scientists after Brexit by seeking to fast-track visas, prime minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday (7).
"To ensure we continue to lead the way in the advancement of knowledge, we have to not only support the talent that we already have here, but also ensure our immigration system attracts the very best minds from around the world," he said.
The fast-track immigration route, which the government hopes to launch later this year, would be designed to attract elite researchers and specialists in science, engineering and technology, Johnson's office said.
It could abolish the cap on numbers eligible for the current Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visas, ensure dependents of successful applicants can access the British labour market and remove the requirement of having a job offer before arriving.
Other options for the new system, which will be created after talks with leading institutions and universities, could also expand the pool of research institutes and colleges that can endorse candidates and accelerate their path to settlement.
Business groups and universities backed the move, and called for the reforms to go further to help Britain address its skills shortages, particularly in technology.
Leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, have warned the sector could be badly damaged if divorce from the European Union goes ahead without a deal, shattering research links and deterring the brightest from studying in Britain.
In the 2018-19 academic year, the number of EU students enrolling in Britain's leading universities fell by 3 per cent, with the biggest drop hitting postgraduate research courses.
Johnson, who led the campaign to leave the EU, has advocated an Australian-style, points-based immigration system to give the government more control to attract talent needed to fill gaps in the workforce.
"We want Britain to be the most prosperous economy in Europe with an immigration system that attracts the brightest and best global talent," Home Secretary Priti Patel said.
The Russell Group of 24 leading British universities, which also includes Imperial College London and the London School of Economics, welcomed the move and said it would bolster the country's position as a world leader in research.
"Our universities strive to recruit the most talented staff and students, wherever they are from," the Russell Group's senior policy analyst Hollie Chandler said.
"The government’s announcement today will help them do so."
The government said it would also provide additional funding for scientists and researchers who had sought EU funding ahead of Britain's exit from the bloc which Johnson has vowed will take place by October 31.
(Reuters)
English questioning rose from 20 per cent to 31 per cent, and racist jokes from 36 per cent to 41 per cent
Workplace violence against Black and ethnic minority employees rises to 26 per cent
Highlights
The Trades Union Congress surveyed 1,044 Black, Asian and ethnic minority employees. The results show clear increases in racist behaviour between 2020 and 2026.
Workers having their English questioned rose from 20 per cent to 31 per cent. Those hearing racist jokes went up from 36 per cent to 41 per cent.
Racist comments made to workers or around them increased from 31 per cent to 36 per cent.
Violence and threats
The most worrying finding involves physical threats and violence, which jumped from 19 per cent to 26 per cent.
Racist posts shared on workplace social media grew from 22 per cent to 28 per cent. Racist materials being passed around increased from 19 per cent to 25 per cent.
Beyond direct racism, many workers face unfair treatment. Nearly half (45 per cent) said they get harder or less popular jobs.
Over two in five (43 per cent) receive unfair criticism. The same number (41 per cent) stay stuck on temporary contracts.
Work conditions got worse too. Those not getting enough hours rose from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.
Workers denied overtime went from 30 per cent to 37 per cent. Being kept on short-term contracts increased from 33 per cent to 41 per cent.
Direct managers cause most unfair treatment (35 per cent), followed by other managers (19 per cent).
Bullying mainly comes from direct managers (30 per cent) and colleagues (28 per cent). Racist behaviour mostly comes from colleagues (33 per cent) and customers or clients (22 per cent).
Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, said: "Black and ethnic minority workers are facing appalling and growing levels of racism and unfair treatment in Britain. This racism is plaguing the labour market – and it's getting worse."
The TUC is calling for urgent government action to tackle the problem. The union wants ring-fenced funding for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to enforce workplace protections.
It is pushing for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting for companies with over 50 employees.
The TUC says the Employment Rights Act, which makes employers responsible for protecting workers from harassment by customers and clients, will be an important step forward.
The union also wants employers to treat racial harassment as a health and safety issue and monitor ethnicity data across recruitment, pay and promotions.