Tiga calls for immigration policy caution

UK video games industry trade body Tiga has called for caution in the implementation of any new national immigration policy.

Responding to a consultation exercise by the Migration Advisory Committee titled ‘Call for Evidence on Analysis of Settlement of Migrants Under Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points Based System’, Tiga warned that any restricting or removing of settlement rights would make the UK a far less attractive place to work for talented migrants both in and out of the games development industry.

“Limiting or eliminating settlement rights could stymie the growth of some games development businesses and could harm the capacity of the sector generally,” said Tiga CEO Dr Richard Wilson.

“At a time when the UK economy has virtually flatlined for nine months, the last thing that the Government should be doing is harming the capacity of a high technology, high skills, export oriented sector to grow.”

The body pointed out that, currently, around 12 per cent of the games development workforce in the UK consists of non-UK citizens.

‘If UK games businesses cannot recruit from the local labour market or hire migrant employees, then some contracts could be jeopardised,’ it said.