It is essential that veterinary surgeons are included in
government plans to scrap the cap on skilled workers from the EU
and elsewhere, according to the British Veterinary Association
(BVA). The Association is warning that the proposed salary
thresholds may threaten the status of EU vets carrying out
critical but comparatively low-paid roles in public health.
The Immigration White Paper, released today, includes plans to
scrap the cap for skilled workers, such as doctors and engineers,
and a consultation on a minimum salary requirement of £30,000 for
skilled migrants seeking five-year visas.
BVA is warning that a £30,000 threshold for EU workers could lead
to a near-total wipeout of veterinary surgeons in critical public
health roles in UK slaughterhouses, with devastating consequences
for UK trade.
Starting salaries for Official Veterinarians monitoring
standards, food safety and animal health and welfare in abattoirs
are in the mid-£20,000s, meaning that imposing this threshold
following consultation could jeopardise the capacity of this
vital and specialist section of the workforce.
Around 95 per cent of Official Veterinarians working in UK
abattoirs are from overseas, predominantly the EU. BVA has
repeatedly warned that any new immigration measures must consider
the veterinary profession’s high reliance on the EU for workforce
supply and mitigate against shortages and disproportionate
impacts in the public health arena.
Simon Doherty, President of the British Veterinary Association,
said:
“The veterinary profession is already facing a workforce crisis
and we are hugely reliant on overseas vets, particularly our
colleagues from the EU.
“Veterinary surgeons in abattoirs are highly skilled and carry
out critical roles ensuring food safety, safeguarding animal
welfare and enabling the UK’s trade in animal products. But many
won’t meet the proposed £30,000 salary threshold.
“When the Home Secretary lifted the cap on non-EU health sector
workers in June, BVA called for vets to be included. We reiterate
that call today for the immigration cap to be lifted on vets.
“We will continue to engage with Government as the Immigration
Bill progresses to make the case for the veterinary workforce’s
capacity needs, as well as the multiple benefits that non-UK vets
and the wider workforce realise across animal health and welfare
and public health.”
BVA and the profession’s regulator, the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), are currently working on a joint
response to the Migration Advisory Committee’s call for evidence
on the shortage occupation list review 2018.
/ENDS
Notes to editors
- The
BVA and RCVS response to the Migration Advisory Committee (Nov
2017) provides facts and figures around the veterinary workforce
and makes the case for vets to be added to the Shortage
Occupation List: https://www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Content/News,_campaigns_and_policies/Get_involved/Consultation_archive/Migration%20Advisory%20Committee%20BVA%20RCVS%20Submission%20FINAL.PDF
