Migration Advisory Committee minutes, 6 September 2019
Updated 15 July 2021
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119th meeting of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)
6th September 2019 11:00 to 13:30
2 Marsham Street, London
Attending:
- Professor Alan Manning
- Professor Jo Swaffield
- Professor Jackline Wahba
- Madeleine Sumption
- Dr Brian Bell (by phone)
- Professor Jennifer Smith
- Anna Weedon (for Paul Regan)
- MAC Secretariat
Agenda item 1 – Welcome and introductions
1. The chair introduced Holly White and Susie Constable to the MAC, recent recruits to the Secretariat heading up Economics and Data and Research and Evaluation respectively. Also, Sheena Kerr has joined to head up the policy, stakeholder and communications team. Anna Weeden from Migration Policy in the Home Office was introduced, standing in for Paul Regan.
Agenda item 2 – Home Office, MAC Secretariat and MAC updates
2. Anna Weeden updated the MAC on Home Office business.
3. Jennifer Bradley updated on MAC secretariat work and the ongoing process for reappointment of the Chair.
Agenda item 3 – Discussion about current commission(s)
4. The chair covered the proposed response to the recent Points-based system commissioning letter and agreed the letter of response with committee, for immediate publication (subsequently published that afternoon on the MAC website).
Agenda item 4 – Impact of skill and salary thresholds on EEA Migrants
5. Holly White led a discussion on the modelling work by Peter Gambrill and Dominic Hearth (apologies sent). MAC members asked about how the results might change if we looked at recent migrants only and sensitivity of the results to various assumptions. It was agreed that non-EEA equivalent work would be brought to a future meeting for comparison. In discussing the GDP models it was agreed that sensitivity around gamma was important to show and an attempt could be made to estimate gamma. In terms of future recommendations it was agreed that given the complexity of this work a range of scenarios to highlight the trade-offs between different levels of salary thresholds may be a good way to present it.
Agenda item 5 – International comparisons salary thresholds
6. Josh Reeve presented a paper on international comparisons of salary thresholds and in discussion it was agree it would be useful to draw out common themes across many migration systems.
Agenda item 6 – Points-based migration systems
7. Fraser Cornwell presented a paper on international points-based systems of migration. Madeleine Sumption highlighted that the themes can be brigaded into four main areas to consider: the requirement of a job offer; individual characteristics; flexibility in the system; and mobility between employers.
Agenda item 7 – Call for Evidence and online form
8. Susie Constable presented and discussed changes to the online form questions in light of the PBS commission. MAC agreed the final version for publication.
Agenda item 8 – Stakeholder engagement
9. Sheena Kerr and Keval Mulji gave an update of recent stakeholder engagement and went through the advisory group meetings that MAC members would be attending.
Agenda item 9- Any other business
10. There was no other business.
Migration Advisory Committee Secretariat