Sadiq Khan calls for temporary visa scheme for construction workers

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the government to create a temporary visa scheme for construction workers to tackle the impact of Brexit and the Covid pandemic on the building industry.

Mr Khan has said that, before Brexit, the capital was dependent on migrant workers for building projects, citing figures which suggest more than half of the construction workforce is from the EU and beyond.

The London Mayor added that  the number of construction workers in the capital from the EU fell 54% in the three years to April 2020.

Mr Khan said: “Tackling London’s housing crisis has always been one of my top priorities since becoming mayor. We’ve worked tirelessly over the last five years to get London building again, and the construction sector forms a key part of London’s Covid recovery plan”.

He added: “The Government must look beyond their current blinkered approach to immigration and recognise the impending crisis that is already enveloping one of our most vital industries”.