New immigration proposals restricting the period of stay for highly skilled migrants in the UK could undermine the future of British science.The UK governments new proposals to severely limit the path to settlement or permanent residency for skilled migrants from non-EU countries have renewed concerns about the impact of current immigration policies on British science. Details outlined in a Home Office consultation document suggest that the majority of skilled migrants (also known as 'Tier 2 migrants') and their dependents would be expected to leave the country after a maximum stay of five years. The consultation document outlines opportunities that may arise for Tier 2 migrants to switch to a path that would lead to settlement in the UK, including, for example, an automatic route that is at present available for "ministers of religion, elite sportspeople and those earning over ?50,000". However, the vast majority of scientists, including senior investigators, will fail to meet the current salary criterion.For senior researchers, the prospect of uprooting a research programme in five years, often the length of time taken to simply get a programme underway, is likely to be a powerful deterrent to accepting positions in the UK. Similarly, restrictions on the length of stay could force postdoctoral researchers to leave the country before wrapping up a project. A letter organized by CaSE (Campaign for Science & Engineering in the UK), signed by twenty influential representatives drawn from science and technology, makes these and other crucial points.
展开▼
