'Madness!' Fury erupts as foreign dancers and artists classed as 'crucial' migrants

Foreign dancers, writers, photographers and musicians are set to be allowed to work in the UK because their roles are "crucial" to the Government's mission to boost economic growth. On Thursday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was handed a report outlining 82 occupations that should be exempt from a visa ban.

Labour wants to force more businesses to hire British workers and end their reliance on cheaper foreign labour in a bid to slash net migration. And the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) told Ms Mahmood that barring migrants who have moved to the UK to fill a role on the temporary shortage list (TSL) will make international recruitment less attractive to both employers and workers. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "This is madness.

"We should be ending all forms of low-wage migration, not opening it up.

"Low-wage migration ends up costing other taxpayers money, as those on low wages consume more in services than they pay in tax.

"It is insane to be claiming that we have a critical shortage of dancers and photographers.

"There are thousands of British young people - many now unemployed thanks to Labour - who would love to do those jobs.

"Labour has lost control of our borders - and looking at these proposals, seem to have lost their mind as well.

"Legal migration has been far too high for far too long. We need to go much further, with a hard-binding annual cap set at much lower levels. Labour voted against this twice."

Among the 82 occupations are artists, authors, actors and entertainers, dancers and choreographers, and photographers.

They are listed alongside human resources officers and health and safety managers.

Bricklayers, welders, carpenters, IT staff, fashion designers and civil engineers are also included.

The MAC chose these initial roles based on their contribution to the eight "growth-driving" sectors in the Government's industrial strategy - including defence, life sciences and creative industries - and building infrastructure.

Each will be screened before the MAC drafts a final list in a process due to end in July next year.

Its report to Ms Mahmood said: "A fixed-length visa might add a greater incentive for employers to utilise the domestic workforce as a longer-term and more stable solution than hiring overseas workers."

The Government's migration tsar also said preventing a path to settlement could ensure foreign nationals become "overwhelmingly fiscally positive".

And time-limited visas would drive down net migration, as more people will leave the UK.

The MAC told Ms Mahmood: "It is also possible that having no route to settlement would make the TSL less attractive to migrants and employers."

Companies will only be able to recruit from abroad if they draw up plans to train British workers.

They will be given between 18 months to three years before they are barred from recruiting migrant workers.

Labour said it wants to raise the threshold for skilled foreign workers wanting to come to the UK to graduate level or above in an attempt to end low-paid migration.

This made 180 occupations, such as retail workers and chefs, automatically ineligible to recruit from abroad.

Migration will lead to another five million people living in the UK in just seven years, according to alarming projections.

The population will surge to 72.5million - up from 67.6million - by 2032, heaping more pressure on the NHS, housing, roads and schools.

Statisticians at the Office for National Statistics predicted net migration will settle at 340,000 per year from 2028.

This is down from a record high of 906,000 in June 2023.

Migration will account for "the entirety of the population growth" as the difference between births and deaths is "projected to be around zero".

Net migration is currently around 431,000 a year.

Professor Brian Bell, chairman of the MAC, said: "Three months after the Home Secretary's commission, the MAC are pleased to deliver our stage one report on the TSL. The Government's vision for the new TSL is to provide time-limited access to the immigration system for 'mid-skilled' occupations where long-term shortages have been identified and deemed as crucial to the delivery of the UK's Industrial Strategy or critical infrastructure.

On Tuesday, the Shadow Home Secretary vowed to deliver "sustained negative net migration" and stop foreign nationals from claiming benefits.

And the Daily Express can reveal Mr Philp met US vice president JD Vance to discuss how Donald Trump is making it more difficult for people to live, work and study in America.

They also discussed White House plans to carry out mass deportations to end the crossing crisis on the Mexican border.

Mr Philp said: "Mass immigration is not good for the economy. Just one in seven of recent arrivals from outside Europe came primarily for work.

"That is why only those who are making a contribution can stay permanently, and those who are not citizens cannot expect to receive benefits.

"And that is why we will set a binding annual cap on immigration, voted each year by Parliament. A Conservative government will set that cap at a low level to ensure more people leave than arrive. So we will deliver sustained negative net migration."