Brexit…what's being done?

While Brexit negotiations continue, the veterinary profession have been working hard to convey to the government the importance of securing legislation to safeguard both the veterinary workforce and animal/public health and welfare. The recent release of the Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) report on European Economic Area (EEA) migration, which looks at current patterns and predicts future patterns of EEA migration, has prompted a response from vets welcoming the evidence-based approach, but expressing some concerns regarding legislative overcomplications causing problems in the real world. BVA President John Fishwick explains ‘nearly half of vets registering to work in the UK every year come from the EEA, so it's critical that any changes to migration policy are designed to maintain capacity and guard against sudden shortages rather than introducing new layers of bureaucracy such as the onerous application for licences to sponsor employees or restrictions on flexible movement between roles’ (BVA, 2018a).