About us
The MAC is an independent, non-statutory, non-time limited, non-departmental public body that advises the government on migration issues.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is an independent, non-statutory, non-time limited, non-departmental public body that advises the government on migration issues. Our sponsoring department is the Home Office.
The MAC has a UK-wide remit and works across government, providing transparent, independent and evidence based advice. Our work is primarily led by commissions from the Home Secretary. Alongside commissioned work, the MAC produces an annual report as well as committee led analysis.
The MAC bases all recommendations on what it sees as being in the interests of the resident population, taking into account that migration has different effects on different groups.
The committee is supported by a permanent civil service secretariat of around 30 people. The secretariat is staffed by economists, social researchers, statisticians, policy staff and business support staff.
Committee membership
The MAC is currently made up of a chair, a deputy chair, and 3 other independent members, all who have been appointed under rules relating to public appointments laid down by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).
Additionally, the Home Office is represented on the committee:
- Dr Madeleine Sumption (interim chair)
- Professor Dina Kiwan
- Professor Sergi Pardos-Prado
- Professor Jo Swaffield
- Ex-officio member, Home Office
How the MAC works
Commissions are sent to the MAC from the Home Secretary, which are published on our website along with a response from the chair of the MAC. A commission usually takes between 6 and 12 months to complete depending on complexity and time required for appropriate research. However, the MAC can carry out ‘rapid’ reviews for specific questions, when asked to by the government.
The MAC can also ‘self-commission’ when the committee identifies a particular area of the migration that would benefit from improved evidence to understand how the system is working. These findings can be published as a stand-alone report or as thematic chapters in our annual report.
Depending on the scope of the project, the MAC may issue a time limited call for evidence (CfE). This is where we welcome comments, supported by evidence, from the public, industry or representative bodies, which can be submitted online.
Under the direction of the committee the secretariat then undertakes a range of tasks including:
- labour market analysis
- economic modelling
- qualitative research
- policy assessments
We also meet relevant stakeholders from across the UK as part of our evidence gathering.
When required, we also commission external modelling and research. The MAC engages with third party experts who support the committee with evidence building.
The committee discusses the evidence, challenges assumptions and agrees recommendations. We then write up findings and conclusions with policy recommendations considering the full range of evidence.
The Home Secretary receives the report the day before publication.
After careful consideration, the Home Office publishes an official response to our recommendations, deciding whether or not to accept the recommendations and any necessary changes to the immigration rules are made.
Engaging with the MAC
You can sign up on our website to have an alert sent to your email inbox when we post new information.
If you are an employer, employer organisation, sector representative or user of a specific visa route and are interested in providing evidence to the MAC, check our website to see which commissions we are currently working on and if there is an open ‘call for evidence’ which is relevant.
If there is not a call or the call has closed please send a brief email and state the sector you represent and your areas of interest to enquiries@mac.gov.uk and we will, with your consent, retain your contact details for future use.
You can also use this email address to ask to be added to our contact list. We appreciate the commissions we are working on at any one time may not directly relate to your sector, but we value the opportunity to reach out to you in the future.
If you are a journalist or media representative and have questions for the MAC, or wish to attend MAC press conferences please contact media@mac.gov.uk You should tell us the media outlet and role, the topic or commission you are enquiring about and whether it is a background briefing or interview request.
If you are seeking information on an individual case, you should contact the Home Office directly at public.enquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk. The MAC does not handle or comment on individual cases.
Information the MAC publishes
Governance and transparency
As part of our transparency and publication approach we publish:
- MAC meeting minutes
- our annual governance report, including expenditure and organisational information
These are available under ‘Transparency and freedom of information releases’ on the MAC home page.
MAC expenditure
As a non-departmental public body, the MAC is bound by annual governance and financial reporting requirements, ensuring transparency around its remit, finances and stakeholder engagement. We publish our annual governance report in December. It sets out our budget and expenditure during the previous financial year. Copies of all our annual reports can be found on gov.uk.
Asset registers and information asset lists
The MAC is a non-departmental body funded by the Home Office. The MAC is operationally independent of the Home Office. The secretariat is hosted within the Home Office estate and makes use of shared corporate services in line with Home Office policies and value-for-money principles.
The Home Office maintains centralised asset inventories for all key asset types e.g. hardware and software. In order to comply with departmental and statutory requirements for information governance the MAC is required to maintain accurate entries for any information assets it controls.
Freedom of information
MAC publications under the Freedom of Information Act Publication Scheme
As a public body sponsored by the Home Office, we routinely publish:
- who we are and how we are structured
- governance documents
- committee meeting minutes
- annual governance reports
- details of current and previous commissions
- research, analysis, reports
- our contact details
- our Personal Information Charter (how we handle personal data)
Freedom of Information (FOI) request
Where information is already published, FOI requesters will be directed to these resources.
Requests for information can be submitted to enquiries@mac.gov.uk Please include:
- your name
- contact email or postal address
- a description of the information you are seeking
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
- you will receive a response within 20 working days, unless an extension is permitted under the public interest test
- request are handled ‘applicant-blind’ (we do not consider who is asking)
- we will confirm whether we hold the requested inform and either provide it or explain why an exemption applies
- partial releases may include safe redaction where only some information is exempt
- we will direct you to the relevant publication if the information requested in already publicly available
- we will ask you to contact the Home Office, if the information requested is held by the Home Office, and not by the MAC
Further information can be found on gov.uk
Appealing against the result of an FOI requests
You can request an internal review if you believe your FOI request was not handled correctly.
If you remain dissatisfied after the internal review, you can appeal to Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which is the independent regulator for information rights.
MAC corporate memberships
The MAC is a member of the Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG). The LMEG, announced in the Immigration White Paper, aims to provide evidence to help reduce the UK’s reliance on international recruitment. Dr Madeleine Sumption represents the MAC in the LMEG.
The MAC is a member of the European Network of Migration Councils (ENMC) – a network of independent councils that provide policy advice and publish research based insights on migration, with the aim of improving the quality of migration policy and practice. As a European network, we address similar challenges, allowing us to inspire and learn from one another. The network connects chairs, directors and secretariat staff or researchers, who exchange knowledge and experiences depending on the topic. Members meet several times a year to share expertise and discuss key developments. The ENMC is an initiative run entirely by its members, operating without any form of external funding.
Corporate information
Access our information
Our Personal information charter explains how we treat your personal information.