Transparency data

Migration Advisory Committee minutes, 14 July 2023

Updated 8 December 2023

Migration Advisory Committee 
2nd Floor, Peel Building NE 
2 Marsham Street 
London 
SW1P 4DF

Minutes of the 165th meeting of the Migration Advisory Committee.

Friday 14 July 2023 10am to 12:30pm

Hybrid conference

Attending

• Professor Brian Bell
• Professor Dina Kiwan
• Professor Sergi Pardos-Prado
• Madeleine Sumption                    
• Professor Jo Swaffield
• Della McVay
• Susie Constable
• MAC Secretariat

Agenda Item 1 – Welcome and Introductions

1. Brian Bell opened the meeting and welcomed the attendees.

Agenda Item 2 – Home Office, MAC Secretariat and MAC updates

2. Della McVay provide updates on laying occupations on the SOL, net migration, and ongoing developments in Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) agreements. Home Office is chasing a response from Ministers to the MAC’s social care report. Della referenced the recent announcement made by the Prime Minster on the increase in visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge (HIS) due to be implemented. Della also noted that the priority being placed on the illegal migration bill is having some impact on progress in other legal migration programmes.

3. Susie Constable provided an update on staffing and work priorities within the Secretariat. A work plan for the MAC has been drawn together and submitted to No.10 upon request. An update was also provided on conversations taking place with the Public Appointments Team regarding the recruitment of a sixth MAC member.

4. Brian provided an update on his recent visits to a shoe factory and a college that provides apprenticeships in shoe manufacturing. Brian found this site visit useful in the context of the ongoing Shortage Occupation List (SOL) review suggested similar visits be pursued in the future.

Agenda item 3 – SOL – Update on RQF 1-2 analysis; Arguments made in relation to screened-out occupations

5. A member of the Secretariat provided an overview of the analysis the team has progressed regarding submissions on RQF 1-2 occupations to the MAC’s SOL Call for Evidence. The Committee provided direction on the occupations that the Secretariat suggested be progressed for further analysis and also provided direction on reclassification requests.

6. A member of the Secretariat provided an overview of arguments submitted to the SOL Call for Evidence regarding occupations deemed ineligible for placement on the SOL. The Committee provided direction on the MAC’s response to these arguments and how these be communicated.

Agenda item 4 – Annual Report Skeleton: Net Migration, Health and Social Care

7. Members of the Secretariat provided an update on two of the chapters currently being drafted for the MAC’s 2023 Annual Report requesting direction from the Committee on scope.

Agenda item 5 – Life cycle of a migrant scoping paper

8. A member of the Secretariat provided a high-level scoping paper on the Life cycle of a migrant project currently being progressed. The Committee provided direction on where focus should be placed.

Agenda item 6 – Job Vacancies dataset usage: choosing a supplier

9. A member of the Secretariat requested direction from the Committee on datasets to be utilised by the MAC for analysing job vacancy data.

Agenda item 7 – Request from Home Secretary to adopt antisemitism definition

10. The Committee and Secretariat had a discussion on the Home Secretary’s request for all agencies and public bodies that work with the Home Office to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

Agenda item 8 – Research visit to Kyrgyzstan

11. A member of the Secretariat provided a brief update on the research visit that took place earlier in July to Kyrgyzstan as part of the MAC’s ongoing inquiry into the Seasonal Worker visa.

Agenda item 9 – AOB

12. None.