On 1 January 2021, freedom of movement between the EU and the UK will end, and the UK’s new points-based immigration system will begin. This will mean major change for sectors of the economy – from fruit-picking to social care – heavily reliant on lower-paid migrant labour. And even before Britain ‘takes back control’ of its borders, migration patterns have been transformed by Brexit – and now Covid. How has Brexit already affected migration patterns in the UK? How has Covid changed the picture? What will the government’s new migration regime mean for the labour market? How much should government worry about some firms complaining of labour shortages? And how does a change in the nature of migrant labour impact attempts to enforce our labour market rules? The Resolution Foundation is hosting a live interactive webinar to debate and answer these questions. Following the presentation of highlights from new RF research, we will hear from the Director of the Migration Observatory, Madeleine Sumption, and Professor Anand Menon from UK in a Changing Europe. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event.
