The construction industry will require special treatment to bring in EU workers and ease labour shortages as the deadline to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme approaches, experts have claimed.<\/p>\n
European citizens, who previously were able to work in the UK without additional documentation, have until 30 June to apply for the scheme. Any who miss the deadline will not have the right to work in the UK. Experts fear that workers who are either unaware of the requirements or delay their application could be barred from working.<\/p>\n
Darin Burrows, director of construction recruitment agency City Site Solutions, said: \u201cWe are pleased that a lot of our EU-nationality workers \u2013 the vast majority \u2013 are not going home as they have applied for settled or pre-settled status in good numbers. But for people who have not yet applied, you have a week. Please don\u2019t delay any longer. If you want to stay in the UK, you\u2019ve got to get this sorted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alec Herron, communications manager at the charity Settled, which was set up to offer immigration advice to EU citizens living in the UK, told Construction News<\/em> \u201cthousands\u201d of people were at risk of being caught out by the change: \u201cThose who miss the deadline to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme will lose the right to work, study, access health, housing and ultimately could be removed from the UK,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Herron called on the government to give assurance to people who were working in the UK before 31 December 2020 that they will be able to stay.<\/p>\n The government introduced the settlement scheme after the EU referendum in 2016, as a means to confirm the status of EU citizens already residing in the UK. Settled status gives the applicant indefinite leave to remain in the UK, while pre-settled status gives them limited leave to remain.<\/p>\n The number of EU-born construction workers dropped by 28 per cent between the third quarter of 2019 and the same period in 2020, according to data collected by the Construction Products Association<\/a>. The decline in EU workers in the UK has preceded a sharp increase in vacancies in 2021, which hit a 20-year high in April<\/a>.<\/p>\n Experts have warned that the construction industry will face an even greater skills shortage unless exceptions are made to make it easier to bring in workers from abroad. A major barrier to bringing in tradespeople from abroad is their salaries do not meet the threshold for visas, meaning that the current skills shortages could be exacerbated in the coming months.<\/p>\n Womble Bond Dickinson managing associate Alan Kennedy said: \u201cBrexit is going to leave labour shortages in certain industries including the construction industry, and the only thing that could really be done to get around that is to include those roles in the shortage occupation list.\u201d<\/p>\n The shortage occupation list, which is drawn up by the independent Migration Advisory Committee, lowers the requirements for foreign workers to be allowed to work in the UK. Its purpose is to help industries which are experiencing skill shortages. It currently does not apply to any construction trades or labour, but is open to certain roles including civil engineers and engineering geologists.<\/p>\nCalls to add construction workers to shortage occupation list<\/h3>\n