GMC Report: More Doctors Coming from the EU to work in the UK

Today, the Annual General Medical Council (GMC) report revealed that “more doctors than ever” are coming to the UK from Europe. According to the report the number of doctors coming from Europe to work in the UK has increased by 8%. The figure has gone from 5,204 in 2008 to 5,619 in 2013. Making Southern Europe the main source of providing the UK with doctors, overtaking South Asia. This news comes as David Cameron has suggested that he wants to restrict EU’s freedom of movement.

GMC: 33% of doctors in the UK come from Southern Europe

According to the GMC’s annual report the number of doctors coming from South Asia and Southern Europe have switched. For instance, in 2008 out of the 5,204 18% were from Southern Europe and 28% were from South Asia. The percentages changed in the year 2013, with 33% of doctors in the UK coming from Southern Europe and 20% from South Asia.

The GMC’s report stated:

“Once, the main source of non-UK graduates was south Asia, particularly India, and to some extent the Middle East and Africa. Now, a third of the increase in non-UK graduates are from southern European countries. We do not know all the reasons for these changes but some are already clear – after changes to immigration rules in 2010 it became harder for international medical graduates to secure training and employment here. It also said the economic downturn in Europe and the increased opportunity for European Economic Area graduates to work in the UK following changes in 2004 and 2007 were behind the rise.”

This news of an increase of European doctors in the UK comes after David Cameron announced last week at the Conservative Party conference he wanted to restrict EU freedom of movement and planned to go to Brussels to negotiate a change in the rules for new members joining the union.

European Commission suggests new Immigration Restrictions

Today, it has been revealed that Mr Cameron has achieved what he wanted in Brussels as the European Commission has suggested that new immigration restrictions will be imposed on countries that join the EU.

According to the European Commission report:

“The possible need for and nature of transitional measures and/or a safeguard mechanism on the free movement of workers will be addressed in the course of accession negotiations on future enlargement. Our strategy takes into account the lessons we have learned with previous enlargements.”

The new restrictions could potentially last up to 10 years and are said to be a way of avoiding a repeat of allowing 1.5 million migrants from Poland and Eastern Europe into the UK in 2004. The restrictions would apply to new members of the European Union such as Southern European countries like Turkey, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia.

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