Episode 248: Tightening Immigration Rules and Their Impact on Businesses with Will Tear

Coordinated and Produced by Elisa Garbil

Today Dominic Bowen hosts Will Tear on the podcast to discuss the tightening of immigration rules and what impact these have on businesses. They discuss real world examples of immigration challenges, the difficult task of balancing immigration policies and business needs, global competitiveness, ups killing, future risks and more!

Will Tear is the Director at Pattison Shepley Ruvolo. He has focused on international recruitment for over 18 years in the areas of Immigration, Global Mobility and International Reward. His aim is to work with firms as their strategic talent partner with a view to providing the best in class candidate rather than the best available.

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Transcript:

Dominic Bowen: Hi, I’m Dominic Bowen. I’m host of the International Risk Podcast, and today’s episode cuts straight to the heart of a debate that many politicians that don’t want to have, honestly. And that’s immigration. And today we’re joined by Will Chair Will’s a director at Patterson Shepley Rivero. He’s focused on international recruitment for over 18 years, and he works in the areas of immigration, global mobility, and international reward. And his aim is to work with firms as their strategic talent partner with a view to providing the best class candidate rather than just the best available in their city.

If you care about economic resilience, if you care about geopolitical credibility. And if your business wants to grow, not just locally, but internationally, then this is a great conversation for you. In our conversation with Will today, we really hope to gain insight into the rise of anti-immigration sentiment and what this means for businesses and what politicians can be doing about it.

Will welcome to the International Risk Podcast.

Will Tear: Thank you for having me, Dominic.

Dominic Bowen: Well, right across Europe and especially in the uk, we’re seeing a policy shift that’s more about political optics than operational realities. And I think it’s rhetoric that’s controlling, it’s controlling the higher visa costs, tighter rules, fewer dependents allowed in of immigrants.

But I think the timing couldn’t be worse. And I’d love to get your insight on this because. As we’ve got this aging population, as we’re seeing birth rates really collapsing right across the OECD, we’re seeing chronic labor gaps in everything from AI engineering to elderly care, and at the same time, economies, they’re fighting tooth and nail to attract the biggest and the brightest and the best talent.

But talent’s not static and we know that high performers. Have options. When I speak to executive teams, when I speak to boards, key person risk is always one of their top risks. And talent shortages is a real problem. So when at the same time as we’ve got these challenges and businesses fighting through the ability to attract and retain the best talent, what’s the impact that Tide immigration controls have on a company’s ability and uh, even a country’s ability to attack?

The next generation of.

Will Tear: I think the impact is obviously significant and in some cases it really risks becoming a long-term strategic misstep with serious economic consequences. In today’s world, global talent is mobile, young professionals. Researchers and entrepreneurs aren’t just looking for jobs.

They’re seeking countries where they can study, innovate, and also build lasting futures, build families. If you ask yourself, if you were a student. You are considering the international studying abroad. Would you choose to go somewhere where policies are restric are limited.

Feels uncertain. When countries make it harder for students to stay and thrive post-graduation, why wouldn’t you simply look to alternatives where that can offer smoother supportive path? The global education market. It’s huge and it’s very competitive and actually the winners will be countries that can offer more stable opportunity rich systems.

We seeing examples now. I mean if you look at the highly publicized Trump administration, obviously standoff with some of the universities, particularly Harvard. But if you look at the government reforms last year I think in terms of international students bringing dependents after they brought in the rule where sort of students could no longer bring in their dependents, I think there was an 80.

Those Visa applications categories. Now even more concerning, this is actually for an industry’s perspective for the UK education sector, which I think was, over a 15% income drop over the two years, which was roughly over a billion in lost revenue. The impact how it compounds when top talent goes elsewhere.

Because universities lose students and funding employers lose future skilled workers and startups lose the global expertise they need for growth. And in the uk, many use universities heavily rely on international enrollment and coing demand through. Who is the chair of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union estimated that further restrictions could reduce Indian student applications by up to 60%, which is I think around 65,000 students. But what is the economic cost there and.

2.3 billion losses in tax revenues and I understand these are estimates, but I think it’s a real illustration of risk and if countries are to remain competitive, they must be seen in immigration policy, not just as a.

Dominic Bowen: Yeah, I think it’s a really important point. I know practically i’ve had significant difficulty finding senior and experienced management consultants to join my team and. We found this fantastic candidate. She was amazing. She interviewed so well and you know, through all the practical exams, just did an amazing job.

And she had experience from both Pricewaterhouse Coopers and KPMG. She was originally from Nigeria and she worked with, KPMG there. She moved to Luxembourg and she’d been there for a couple of years. So she had plenty of European experience and with fantastic companies. And as I said, she performed outstanding during the recruitment process and she was married to a Sweden just waiting for her residency.

18 months later, we made a offer. We gave her a job. 18 months later. Came in absolutely ridiculous 18 months later. And this is a highly skilled, highly talented individual who was already married to a Swede, but just couldn’t have the right to work. And you see that at a very practical level.

And you spoke about the UK before, we know that the UK government’s TI immigration at the same time. As there’s a shortfall of over 130,000 people in the healthcare sector and across construction and hospitality. So I’d love to hear from you what are the implications when there are more restrictive immigration policies for employers, especially their ability to recruit and train skilled international workers.

Will Tear: And I, I think the example you give there is not uncommon. it’s not just a political shift. It’s a real time in rising business risk that companies globally are being forced to take seriously. The UK healthcare sector at the moment in terms of hundred 30,000 unfilled vacancies. Without access to international workers, many employees simply can’t deliver core services impacting operations, customer experience, and in some cases that can be public wellbeing.

also leads into the actual competitiveness and business strategy for an organization. If companies can’t access the critical skills locally and in real time, what are their alternatives? Many face pressures from global competition. It’s not just local. And for smaller businesses that pressure.

Said labor shortages can’t just be by training immigration undermining, and create jobs. And this isn’t just an issue within the UK as well. I remember, I think it was last year, SML who are like, they’re massive Dutch semi-conductor joint. I think they’re valued over like 360 billion. And their workforce, I think they employ over 40% is. Their CO Peter, he warn that if migration policy makes it difficult for hiring from abroad, then they’ll consider moving their operations out the Netherlands.

And that has massive implications, particularly for an organization that size, for not just the business itself, the people that work there, but.

It’s Significant amounts even, particularly when people have family members and dependents involved as well. Now look for some of the larger multinational. They can relocate those jobs. They could be more flexible on jurisdictions, but for SMEs and startups, these rising costs are serious barrier to growth, and it leads.

They are compliant with what the rules are and immigration regulations, they’re becoming more complex and enforcement is a lot more aggressive. I’ve already mentioned the US examples of universities, but also private sector Employers face a lot more enforcement actions breaches. In the UK for example, compliance isn’t just about financial penalties. It’s also the issue of criminal convictions of which.

Ultimately, this isn’t just about recruitment headaches, it’s about the rising costs, missed opportunities, and

stake higher. And will across

Dominic Bowen: Much of Europe populations are aging and they’re aging rapidly, and at the same time we’re suffering from declining birth rates. So I’d suggest that migrant workers aren’t a bonus. They’re actually essential to many vital services and industries. Can you tell us, and can you help us understand how do restrictive immigration policies undermine a country’s long-term economic growth and global competitiveness?

Will Tear: Yeah. I think it’s one of the most critical issues facing global economies today and restrictive immigration policies. They don’t just operate in isolation. They shape the future workforce, the nations ability to innovate. When countries make it harder to bring in international students, they limit their labor market flexibility. And over time, this can lead to slower growth, reduced output, and inflationary pressures as businesses compete for a smaller pool of workers. Plus if you factor in on top of that, if a firm does hire.

From with the additional cost on that, that is inevitably likely to get passed on to consumers, and obviously, again, compounding the inflationary nature of it, we look. The competitiveness, and particularly global competitiveness. Today’s businesses don’t just choose where to sell. They choose where to grow, and if immigration restrictions make it too hard or too expensive to hire the people they need, then why wouldn’t go somewhere else?

I mean, I’ve already mentioned. ML in the Netherlands. But I remember in Germany last year there was, I think it was over 30 companies, including the likes of BMW bsf and Stevens warn that anti immigration rhetoric could actually influence their investments. We’ve already talked about the education sector, the impact it can have, but international students, they’re not just fee payer, they’re researchers, founders, and, and in general just contributors to the local economy. If restrictive visa rules drive these students elsewhere, it’s obviously gonna weaken not just university funding, but also the talent pipeline that fuels innovation ecosystem.

And illegal migration and when restrictive policies are in place. And if we look at basic economics as an example, where there’s demand in a market and it’s overly restricted from a regulation point, it can fuel black markets and immigration is.

Study by, I think UCL in 2018 that found that tough integration controls can sometimes be counterproductive and actually push people into more unauthorized route and enable exploitative systems to flourish.

A potential example of this. In real time at the moment could be seen in the, the highly publicized and dangerous boat crossings in the UK at the moment, which is a, a stark and tragic reminder of what can happen when safe. And legal pathways are restricted. I think it, it reinforces the central point when countries tighten immigration too much.

They don’t just risk limiting economic potential. They can also create challenges that affect both communities and individuals. Which highlighting again, the need for a thoughtful and balanced approach that supports the long term wellbeing and also prosperity of everyone and in general, while restrictive policies may deliver short term political wins, they can often have the potential to come at the expense of long term prosperity. And to put it simply in a world that thrives on mobility, you can’t compete globally if you’re not open to the global workforce.

Dominic Bowen: Yeah, thanks for explaining that. And if we look across the Atlantic, the Trump administration is cracking down on illegal immigration in the US and this has already led to labor shortages, especially in agriculture, hospitality, and construction sectors. And there’s many businesses across the us. That are reporting difficulty replacing these long-term immigrant workers, and it’s resulting in operational challenges.

It’s resulting in increased costs and overall economic growth has already been slowed in in some sectors in the US Now there’s economists that are warning that reduced immigration could actually hinder long-term economic advancement and productivity in the USA. This isn’t just a trend in the SA, as you said, this is happening in the uk, this is happening across Europe. When you’re speaking with businesses who were trying to fill labor shortages, are they finding the current trends challenging?

Will Tear: as countries, we are territories and it is something that has always been. But actually the thing is that we live in a global economy now and it’s so competitive that actually if you look at things like Amazon, now, you can access anything all over the world.

Right on your doorstep. And I think a lot of the businesses that we work with, even on the global scale, it’s such an issue for them to not be able to access talent. The example you gave earlier about when you were trying to hire that management consultant.

Previously it takes 18 months to hire that person. If you look at that in real time, if a business is trying to access a new market or produce a new product, and that person is integral to that product per se, you’ve lost 18 months worth revenue. Really from day one because that person is coming in to do a specialized role. Now, you can’t claim that back off the government. They’re not gonna give you that money back. They’ll just say, this is the process, but this is what firms are dealing with.

this loosely coming into technology, but I think technology are gonna affect all industries anyway. But I think it was in Reuters last year where BM said that about 40% of the workforce are gonna need to be up in, within the next three years and.

‘ cause of the impact technology has had and making it being, giving us the opportunity to access markets so quickly. It’s actually moved so far ahead of the immigration policies that countries have that it’s created this almost fact where like we’ve got a global market yet we’re trying. Which is kind of every country’s view at the moment, whereas actually all you are doing is making your own businesses uncompetitive in that space because you’re not allowing them to access that global free market.

But unfortunately, that’s the nature of it and yeah, technology is moving at such a rapid rate that we’re all playing catch up is probably the major thing I would say.

Dominic Bowen: So how do we strike the right balance between, government policies, business needs, and managing immigration systems, which do need to be managed and ensuring businesses have the right access to sufficient talent?

They, especially in critical sectors like healthcare, like agriculture, like construction,

Will Tear: I mean unfortunately there’s not a one size fits all solution for this. And think both governments and businesses need to approach the issue with openness and a willingness to.

Economics, but also the human realities involved. And in today’s fast changing world, immigration systems need to be flexible and enough to respond. Definitely quickly, to labor shortages and We’re talking about agriculture here and I think it’s a clear example of how restrictive policies can impact, an industry like, so if you look at when Brexit happened and before Brexit, the UK eu. The government introduced a seasonal work scheme to support farming, particularly for these short, because picking now the. Increasing scrutiny and there’s an issue. So from the farmer’s side, they report difficulty in recruiting enough workers, which leads to crops and financial losses. And they’re also operating under very tight supermarket margins as well. And considering the visa is only six months.

Within. But there’s also issues on the worker side coming over. ’cause many arrive already burdened by debt from international recruitment fees. Once in the UK they have complaints about poor working conditions, long hours, wage deductions with limited protection. Now, I think this is as an example, really shows how complex immigration policies can.

Changes like breakfast don’t just alter immigration patterns. They really reshape entire supply chains and impact real people’s lives. Now, striking the right balance, I feel means trying to design immigration systems that are practical and responsive for employers, but also ethical, transparent, and protective for workers.

If we don’t get that balance right, then the system fails. That’s businesses struggle, vulnerable workers suffer, and even things like.

Dominic Bowen: And I wonder when there’s so much populist narratives right now about how immigrants, how the others are destroying our national identity. And I understand that’s a big motivator for governments. And I understand the international risks of population froze, there’s also significant, benefits. I wonder from what you’ve seen and what you’ve seen with international hires integrating into companies and integrating into communities and traveling internationally, what can governments and business leaders and communities be doing to help, foster a positive culture of inclusivity and national cohesion at the same time as meeting the national interest, which is increased growth meeting labor demand, meeting business needs?

Will Tear: I think one of the things that was quite interesting for the Euros. Last year, the Migration Museum actually ran a campaign which was on pub screens and social media, and the clear message was England doesn’t win without migration, and during the latter stages.

I think so it’s in the quarters, the semis in the final, they were putting graphics up in pubs and, just highlighting how many key players were either born abroad or had at least one parent or grandparent from a overseas. And I actually feel like as a message.

A shared narrative and it transforms the national team into a living symbol of migrations contribution. when Ly Watkins scores the winner in the semi-final against Netherlands, everyone feels that moment of national unity. And I think on top of that, it kind of reinforces belonging. You seeing second generation Brits like Duke, Bellingham, Bokay Sako, or Cole Palmer celebrated as.

Again, it reinforces that multicultural identities deeply woven within the fabric of the nation. And it just normalizes migration and football is England’s national sport. And by highlighting this specifically, it certainly shifts the narrative towards celebrating migration as an integral.

actually it really showed that recognition matters in this kind of space. And having policies that acknowledge and celebrate diverse origins, whether through an inclusive citizenship criteria or public honor or even educational initiatives, can potentially foster pride in that sense of belonging.

Dominic Bowen: Yeah, it sounds like a great campaign will. but in a world where geopolitical shocks, where supply chain disruptions and my gosh, even Democratic shifts and democratic decline is really exposing labor vulnerabilities and, and really exposing, so many challenges and international risks.

How do you think things like education and upskilling initiatives, and I know you’ve had some exposures to these things through your activities. How do these reduce the country’s? Reliance on international talent. And where does that strategy simply fall short when it comes to managing international risks in services like healthcare, logistics, infrastructure? And where do we simply need to rely on international talent?

Will Tear: I think across all economies across the world that’s always a key point and key factor for them to look to do, particularly from a growth side. But there has to be an honest reality check within that and time.

Yeah, build overnight, like robotics engineers, we’ve talked about ai, especially as skilled machinists, that doesn’t just happen like clicking your fingers. These are complex roles which require years of training and more importantly, it needs that strategic. Not just business, but government and also the education sector.

The UK is trying to encourage domestic investment through the immigration skills charge, which, and then that investment is obviously retrain and training staff within core areas and having, building those local talent pipelines.

And yes, it’s, obviously, it’s a strategy, but it’s a long term strategy as well. And in theory, it does sound very smart, but in practice it’s just a small part of that puzzle. And if you make international hiring more expensive without having the domestic skills base ready, all you are doing is further increasing the gap once again, and you slowing the.

The other issue at the moment, which it’s accelerated the change in the job market and so quickly at the moment, and the reality is that we just can’t keep up with it. We’ve talked about AI automation. There’s also digital transformation. They’re not just creating new jobs, they’re replacing old ones as well.

And this is across all sectors and, I feel that in today’s job market it’s not, and particularly from an economic point. It’s not just about filling vacancies today, but there is also about preparing for the future and it might be the case that, I’ve used the IBM example earlier where many jobs might not even exist in their.

Heavily restricting those talent flows to markets. All they do is risk falling behind in the global market because it’s moving at such a fast rate at the moment and actually restricted policies. In essence, there are barriers to entry on unknown. And look in short, we need immigration meet. Education upskilling to prepare for tomorrows.

And if we’re getting the balance wrong and we are short on the skills now all we’re gonna do is risk competitiveness now, which will have that longer term effect anyway. So it’s, that is so key to get that right and has to be core. The wider economic talent strategy.

Dominic Bowen: Yes, spot on. Thanks for explaining that for us today, will, and when you scan the global landscape, when you look across markets, politics, society around the world, what’s one international risk you think most people are ignoring that they really shouldn’t be?

Will Tear: dunno, There’s quite a few at the moment. I think everyone talks about technology as, and not to go for, I know it’s just almost the carbon copy answer each time. But it’s just amazing how. The rate have changed has been, even if I look at what my role has changed in the last 12 months and what the access to technology and the wider market that I have.

It’s actually quite astounding. My key things in terms of having worked over the 20 years that I’ve done it, has been that actually because part of my job is to speak to people a lot of the time and ’cause you work across different markets globally, that you build knowledge quite from just people.

But now. You’ve got such wider access and technology makes it so much simpler and it’s just so ahead of everything, and I think that for. It’s actually having to like, ’cause I’m not that I’m a technophobe myself, but everyone has to embrace it. And that’s the thing because it’s there. It’s just gonna impact everyone’s lives. And that’s the thing because it affects everyone and I already feel that my job’s gonna be probably completely different 12 months down the line And actually it’s trying to keep up with that at the moment is the biggest challenge.

And I, the other thing, it’s not isolated to industry.

Dominic Bowen: Yeah. Thanks very much for explaining that. Will, I appreciate that. And thank you very much for coming on the International Risk Podcast today.

Will Tear: No worries. Thanks for having me.

Dominic Bowen: Well, that was a really interesting conversation with Will Tear. He’s the director at Patterson Shipley reo, and he’s focused on international recruitment for over 18 years. Please go to wherever you download your podcast and please subscribe to future episodes you. Subscribing to future downloads of the podcast is really critical for our continued success.

Today’s podcast was produced and coordinated by Elisa Garbil. I’m Dominic Bowen, your host. Thanks very much for listening, and we’ll speak again next week.