RCN gives evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Migration inquiry

Published: 20 February 2013

The Royal College of Nursing has contributed to a parliamentary inquiry looking at the Government’s proposals to change migration rules

The proposed new salary threshold for individuals to bring spouses and dependents to live with them in the UK is £18,600. The RCN has warned against this rise as the vast majority of health care assistants (HCAs) and assistant practitioners (APs) earn less than this and will be adversely affected by the changes.

The RCN has also warned that the impact of the current pay freeze alongside rising inflation and increasing costs  is seriously affecting the living standards of nursing staff across the UK. The result of this pay freeze is effectively a pay cut for NHS workers. The RCN has called for an above inflation pay award that protects NHS wages against inflation and addresses the effective cuts in earnings staff have suffered during the two-year pay freeze.

The RCN is calling for a rethink of both the current salary threshold and the new rules with regards to sponsorship of elderly dependants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) on the grounds that both changes have clear potential to enforce the separation of family members.