As part of plans to reduce net immigration to the UK, the government has put a temporary cap on non-EU economic migrants through Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the points-based immigration system. Many international scientists enter the UK to work in our research institutions through the routes the government is proposing to cap.

AMRC has responded to consultations by the UK Border Agency and the Migration Advisory Committee on a proposed annual limit on economic migration to the UK. We are concerned that the application and size of the proposed cap should not hinder the valuable world-class life sciences sector in the UK, of which our members are a key part.

It is particularly important to our members that their research investments represent the best value for money and for them to be able to fund world-class, excellent researchers in the UK, wherever those researchers may originally be from.

Medical research charities make considerable investments to support and develop the UK life sciences skills base - approximately 50% of charitable expenditure in UK universities directly supports individual researchers - but it is not realistic, nor necessarily desirable, for an international pursuit such as medical research to rely entirely on homegrown expertise. A level of reciprocal movement is a valuable component of world-class, international research centres and the exchange of ideas.

Poorly designed limits on non-EU economic migrants to the UK could adversely impact on charities’ ability to fund research in the UK. This problem is particularly acute for some of AMRC’s more specialised members focused on specific conditions for which there may be a limited pool of expert researchers.

Simon Denegri, chief executive of AMRC said:

'Restricting movement of international scientists will be counterproductive to maintaining the UK’s status as an international centre for science. It is people who drive new thinking and innovation and a cap on non-EU economic migrants will prevent us from attracting the brightest and best from abroad to work with our home-grown talent on the cures of tomorrow. We ask ministers to consider their approach based on the evidence and concerns that AMRC and others have put forward.’

6 September 2010