Businesses caught up in immigration debate, says C&W Chamber boss

A LEADING business figure in Coventry and Warwickshire has warned against punishing firms that need to hire overseas workers.

Paul Carvell recently became president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and is a key advocate of the organisation’s Go For Growth campaign, particularly around increasing international trade and encouraging stronger business investment.

But he fears that businesses are being caught up in the immigration issue and that recent recommendations to put new charges on companies who draft in overseas workers to plug a skills gap should be rejected.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published its review into Tier 2 migration in January and it suggested firms should pay additional costs to those already in place when they recruit from overseas.

But Carvell thinks it would have an adverse effect on growth if the Government were to implement the recommendations.

He said: “If firms had a choice, they would recruit from close to home if they could rather than looking overseas – of course they would.

“I meet companies all the time through my own business and through the Chamber and so many are reporting a skills gap and say they have no alternative, occasionally, to going overseas.

“Costs are already incurred from drafting in workers from abroad and I believe the government should guard against introducing a further sanction on companies.

“Businesses are already being hit with new costs and charges – from the apprenticeship levy through to auto-enrolment – and this would be another additional burden.

“The economy is growing but it would be unwise to become complacent and think that business can stand one increase after another when it comes

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