Calls for London Only Visa to 'Future Proof' Foreign Labor After Brexit

The LCCI is calling on the UK government to act now to "future proof" the London economy by introducing a one-off visa just for the capital or lose billions of pounds.

​"If we don't act now, by 2020, London could lose out on 160,000 workers, two billion pounds tax revenue and seven billion pounds in economic output," Vicky O'Brien, research manager at London Chamber of Commerce and Industry told Sputnik.

The proposals include offering a one-off London visa to grant current EU employees indefinite leave to remain.

The LCCI wants all EU nationals who are working in London to be issued with a special visa which would allow them to remain in the capital and keep working after Brexit, which, according to Prime Minister Theresa May, will be triggered in March 2017.

The LCCI also suggests controlling the level of migrant workers through work permits.

The proposals have been published in a new report, "Permits, Points and Visas: Securing Practical Immigration for Post-Brexit London." Along with the Center for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), the report suggests that migrant workers make up a quarter of the capital's workforce, contributing around $US44 billion in goods and services to the UK economy and paying US$13 billion in tax.

Sticking with the "status quo" is not an option, Vicky O'Brien warns:

"If we stick with the status quo, we're going to lose out on the talent and skills of EU nationals and we are to exacerbate acute skill shortages in some of  London's critical sectors; construction, banking and finance."

As for how it would work, the LCCI are hoping London Mayor Sadiq Khan, will champion the one-off single visa, granting EU national employees indefinite leave to remain pos-Brexit. The UK Home Office would decide on an individual's eligibility.

According to the Cebr, London is more reliant on migrant labor than any other region in the UK; migrants make up 25 percent of the total workforce.

"This is about future proofing the London economy and giving certainty to London firms and their employees. It's about sending out a clear message that London is truly open," Ms. O'Brien told Sputnik.