Migration Advisory Committee minutes, 15 September 2023
Updated 24 May 2024
Migration Advisory Committee
2nd Floor, Peel Building NE
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Minutes of the 167th meeting of the Migration Advisory Committee.
Friday 15 September 2023 11am to 2pm
Hybrid conference
Attending
- Professor Brian Bell
- Professor Dina Kiwan
- Professor Sergi Pardos-Prado
- Professor Madeleine Sumption
- Professor Jo Swaffield
- Della McVay
- Holly White
- 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 provided an update on Home Office business. Della highlighted changes to the immigration rules including travel documentation requirements for school groups coming from France as well as some Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) changes. Further changes to the rules will be taking place in November. Other ongoing work has included tackling abuse, non-compliance, and overstaying.
3. Holly White provided an update on staffing and work priorities within the Secretariat. An update on Committee appointments was provided. Holly also announced that HMRC colleagues would be attending the next Committee meeting to present an agenda item on data.
4. Brian provided an overview of a recent meeting he had with the shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, at which Brian provided an overview of the MAC’s current work plan. Brian also met the recently appointed Director General of Migration and Borders, Dan Hobbs. Dan will attend a short slot at the beginning of the next Committee meeting to introduce himself to the Committee.
Agenda item 3 – SOL Final Report
5. A member of the Secretariat provided an overview of a near-final draft of the MAC’s SOL Report, requesting final Committee input prior to publication in October.
Agenda item 4 – Annual Report: International students chapter
6. A member of the Secretariat provided an updated draft of a chapter on international students which will form part of the MAC’s 2023 Annual Report. This updated included new data and how this has been implemented within the chapter.
Agenda item 5 – Annual Report: Health and social care chapter
7. A member of the Secretariat provided an updated draft of a chapter on the health and social care sector which will form part of the MAC’s 2023 Annual Report. Committee provided comment on the proposed structure for this chapter.
Agenda item 6 – Annual Report: Net migration chapter
8. A member of the Secretariat provided an updated draft of a chapter on net migration which will form part of the MAC’s 2023 Annual Report. Committee provided comment on the proposed structure for this chapter.
Agenda item 7 – AOB
9. Brian thanked two departing members of the Secretariat for their contributions to the MAC’s work.