Report finds migrant workers have not had a major impact on UK pay or employment, but many are being exploited
Less than half of all migrants from Turkey to Britain are likely to take low-skilled jobs when they arrive.
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of Turkish people coming to this country do not end up working in areas such as food processing, agriculture and restaurants, an official report has found.
The Daily Express’s take on the Migratory Advisory Committee’s findings
Just 45 per cent of migrants from Turkey are likely to take low-skilled work, against 68 per cent of Polish migrants and 72 per cent of Lithuanians.
The higher proportion of skilled workers is thought to be because of the Ankara Agreement visa route, which allows skilled Turkish nationals to establish themselves in business in the UK.
The figures were published this week in a study by the Migration Advisory Committee, which advises the Home Office on migration issues.
The report also found that of the 13 million low-skilled jobs in the UK, a record 2.1 million are held by migrants.
WORKERS EXPLOITED, UNDERPAID
It also warned migrant workers were being exploited and in some cases seriously underpaid.
“Our flexible labour market has served us well. But vulnerable low-skilled workers, whether British or foreign, need protection,” said the committee’s chair, Professor David Metcalf.
“There is incomplete compliance with and enforcement of labour regulations, and regulatory resources and penalties are inadequate.
LOCAL IMPACT
“A typical employer can expect a compliance visit just once in 250 years and a prosecution once in a million years.
“We must also redouble our efforts to equip our young people with the skills to compete in a flexible job market.”
But the report also found some local authority areas were struggling to cope with the rapid population change brought by the arrival of more than a million migrants taking up low-paid jobs.
