Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

UK could issue more temporary visas to solve lorry driver shortage, Johnson says

Published 10/02/2021, 04:21 PM
Updated 10/02/2021, 04:25 PM
© Reuters. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at the annual Conservative party conference in Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville

© Reuters. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at the annual Conservative party conference in Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday he would keep immigration rules under review, and did not rule out issuing more temporary visas in an effort to help ease a tanker driver shortage which has led to fuel shortages.

Britain said last week it would issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers and 5,500 poultry workers to try to solve acute labour shortages that have disrupted the supply of fuel to gas stations and caused difficulties in food production.

Britain's Road Haulage Association (RHA) says the country is facing a shortage of some 100,000 drivers, a result of workers leaving the industry, the pandemic putting a stop to driver training and testing for about a year, and post-Brexit immigration rules which prevent hiring drivers from Europe.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to a hospital, Johnson did not rule out the possibility of issuing more temporary visas.

"What we have now is a system that allows us to control immigration, and that gives us flexibility. We can open up our markets if we need to, and of course we'll keep everything under review," Johnson said.

© Reuters. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at the annual Conservative party conference in Manchester, Britain, October 2, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville

The government has said 200 military tanker personnel will help deliver fuel from Monday.

"What we don't want to do is go back to a situation in which we basically allowed the road haulage industry to be sustained with a lot of low wage immigration," Johnson said.

Latest comments

Man this guy could care less about what he looks like . wakes up in the morning , no shower , doesn't brush straight to work.
Wait, shortage of 100,000 drivers and they hired 200 military to take over delivery? They must be very productive.
UK are not smart...
Brexit such a great plan, conservatives sure love adding more beurocracy.
no chicken because of covid ? chicken, chicken, chicken...
Man KFC limiting their menu and have no special offers on 🤣 #firstworldproblems
More immigrants
Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.