British immigration policy has become increasingly snobbish and cruel

China Daily Network, October 19, the British "Guardian" recently published a report that the British Conservative Party is trying to draw a new dividing line in the British political arena: wages vs immigration. In his parliamentary speech, British Prime Minister Johnson defined the Conservative Party as a high-wage faction, promising to change britain's past economic model , in which he argued that "uncontrolled" immigration is "an excuse not to invest in the people, not to invest in job skills training, not to invest in equipment or machinery".

The logic of Johnson's immigration policy is cruel but simple. He is trying to turn a supply chain crisis, triggered in part by shortages of heavy truck drivers and agricultural workers, into a temporary pain for long-term benefits. That is, labour shortages free the UK from its dependence on the labour force of low-skilled migrants, which previously came through the eu's free movement of people, thus fulfilling a key promise of Brexit.

Johnson, by contrast, argues that the opposition Labour Party is still stuck in the past. Labour's new party leader, Stamo, recently suggested that the UK government expand the temporary visa scheme for heavy truck drivers to 100,000, while the Conservatives developed a new plan to deal with it. A government source recently said that voting for the Conservatives would result in a raise, while voting for Labour would see a large number of migrants pull down wages.

However, the report argues that arguing in this way would give the false impression that migrants switch on and off like a faucet. For the British Conservative Party, this approach may be effective, but in the absence of a more comprehensive economic strategy, it is not a long-term solution to the British wage problem. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, wages in the UK have not fluctuated much. For Labour, this could plunge the party into a political sphere where only right-wing views are likely to succeed.

The UK is recognising that migration is an urgent issue to be addressed, both in terms of human relations and economic development. Over the past few weeks, truck drivers in EU countries have been patiently explaining to the media why they see the UK government's new three-month visa scheme as unattractive. The UK government's new visa scheme aims to secure supplies before Christmas. Polish driver Jakub Pajka told Reuters in Warsaw that no driver was willing to move just to meet the Briton's three-month holiday schedule.

The lack of interest among EU workers in Britain's new visa scheme – there are currently 5,000 places for heavy-duty truck drivers and 5,500 places for poultry workers – which surprises and makes sense for British parliamentarians, but it is not. Immigration policy specialist Yva Alexandrova is also the author of the forthcoming book Here to Stay, which tells the story of Eastern European immigrants' experiences in the UK. He has said the immigrant visa policy is rather insulting in a way. It's like, we've kicked you out, but now we need you back for three months, and we'll kick you out again in three months.

In the UK debate on immigration, it is often assumed that people from less wealthy countries will embrace job offers in the UK, but this is not always the case. Eu citizens, for example, may be more willing to find work in member states with greater rights – in addition to this, demographic changes mean that countries in Central and Eastern Europe, which were once the source of large westward migration, now also have labor shortages. (Romania, for example, also faces a shortage of fruit pickers.) )

To some extent, this means that immigration policy needs to be made more carefully and carefully. However, the UK government is desperate for most countries, and the same is true for welfare beneficiaries. A 20 euro weekly benefit reduction should force workers to return to work or, for those who have jobs, to seek better-paying jobs. The UK government says no matter how tough this autumn is, it is the only way to become a high-paying country. Although from the perspective of the plan itself, it is unlikely to work.

Declining immigration will not rightfully lead to higher wages, just as the lack of rigorous investment programs in education and technology will not boost economic growth and productivity. The British government did not recognize this. With the outbreak of COVID-19, this was gradually forgotten, and it was not until the labor shortage took over major news pages that it was brought up again. In February 2020, Home Secretary Priti Patel said there were 8.5 million "economically inactive people" in the UK who could fill job vacancies, many of whom were students, caregivers, sick or retired workers. This remark has become a joke in people's mouths.

Britain's post-Brexit immigration system was once portrayed as having to pick the "smartest and best people" in the world (a euphemism for the rich and highly educated) without having to serve the less wealthy. In fact, migrants will continue to flow to jobs that "don't require much skill," but these jobs are actually crucial to the functioning of the country. As previous weeks have shown, this will be done through political choice, done in a haphazard manner, and based on certain conditions, such as visas that link workers to specific employers, making migrants more likely to be exploited.

The seasonal visa program for agricultural workers has expanded from 2,500 places in 2019 to 30,000 places this year, mainly for labor from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Moldova and other regions. A report released in March by the charity Fox on Labour Exploitation warned of the risk of human trafficking and forced labor in the program. The slightly brutal British immigration system, with many migrants having difficulty accessing health care or benefits, further limits the options available to these workers.

In any case, Johnson's new stance could be a powerful campaign tool. As some Conservative party top brass tires of the right-wing "war of awakening", promising higher wages as a reward for Brexit could be an effective way for the Conservatives to achieve voter coalition unity in 2019, according to reports.

If Labour wants to escape the trap it has set for itself, it needs to respond by avoiding different groups of workers fighting each other. Labour recently supported industry-wide agreements between unions and employers that are used in countries such as the Netherlands to set minimum standards for wages and working conditions. Such policies do have the opportunity to improve the situation of workers, but they need to be a broader dialogue with power: "Regardless of immigration status, how can people really take control of their work?"

Translator: Li Ling