Britain Will Relax Visa Rules For Foreign Fishermen To Overcome Worker Shortages

Illustration of fishing vessels in the UK. (Wikimedia Commons/Ronnie Macdonald)

JAKARTA - The UK will relax immigration regulations for jobs in the fishing industry to address the shortage of workers in this sector, the government said, making it cheaper and easier for applicants from abroad to get visas.

The government said fishermen, skippers and skilled crew members on large ships would be added to the labor-deficient work list.

This decision implements a recommendation from an independent council, which sees the impact of migration on the labor market.

"It is not the purpose of the immigration system to provide worker sources with wages and uninteresting conditions for local workers," a government statement said.

It is known that the UK is experiencing a widespread labor shortage that the Bank of England is concerned about could contribute to rising inflation.

This new regulation will take effect at the end of the year, which is considered to reduce visa costs and reduce the required minimum salary requirements.

Previously, the fishing industry was often seen as determining Brexit's success, after loudly supporting the goal ahead of the 2016 referendum.

However, many later said that negotiations for Britain's exit from the European Union had made them worse, with fewer foreign workers and more bureaucracy in terms of exports.

This change occurred at a time when immigration was the main agenda on the political agenda, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledging to reduce overall legal migration. However, the data that will be released this weekend is expected to show a sharp increase, prompting the government to tighten restrictions in other areas.