Planning to work in the UK? You might need to jump through some more hoops: Migrating to or getting a job in the UK will be more challenging in the future as it is putting stricter visa measures to get the net legal migration figures down, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement. Cleverly’s plan aims tobring the “biggest reduction in net migration,” which currently stands at some 300k per year, down from 745k in 2022, according to figures released last month.

IN CONTEXT- Immigration played a significant role in the UK’s decision to leave the EU in 2016. Opinion polls indicated that leave voters strongly supported ending unrestricted movement and granting Westminster the authority to determine who is entering the country for employment.

However, the public mood has shifted, and legal immigration remains a hot political topic among the British as before, says The Washington Post.

THE TAKEAWAYS-

#1- Higher income + salary requirements:Cleverly’s plan includes increasing the minimum salary threshold to GBP 38.7k to be eligible to obtain a visa, which would pressure employers to steer far from considering the overseas labor pool. For context, the mean average salary in the UK is somewhere around GBP 33k per year.

#2- More restrictions on dependents: Care workers will no longer be allowed to bring dependents with them to the UK starting next April. This restriction follows separate regulations enacted earlier this year barring international students from bringing dependents to the UK, unless they are enrolled in postgraduate studies.

#3- Equal pay. Employers can’t pay overseas workers less than their British counterparts in sectors that are experiencing labor shortages. Additionally, the salary threshold of a spousal visa will be raised.

#4- Citizens + residents are going to have a harder time bringing their partners to the UK, as the new rules now stipulate a minimum annual income of GBP 38.7k, up from GBP 18.6k previously, before their overseas partner can come and live with them, says BBC.

The world’s largest iceberg broke off from Antarctica and is making its way towards the Southern Ocean, CNBC reports.Scientists say that A23a — which is three times the size of New York City — has drifted off Antarctica for the first time in 35 years since 1986. Experts at COP28 warn that this is part of an increasing trend of icebergs carving off of shelves and that can potentially threaten to increase sea levels due to the ongoing climate crises.

Policymakers at COP28 are working to reach agreements that would keep the world on track with 2015 targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as exceeding this threshold can trigger tipping points that could have catastrophic consequences. A study published in the journal Science revealed that there are 16 tipping points, including the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, that may be reached if global warming surpasses 1.5°C. FYI- The world has already warmed by 1.1°C.

Not enough ice was naturally formed this year. Antarctic sea ice reached its highest point after the winter months in late September, according to The World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Initial data showed that this extent was considerably less than 17 mn sq km; which fell short by a mn sq km compared to the previous record low from 2022, which was an area larger than Egypt. This decline is due to the warmer global temperatures — surprise, surprise.

“The poles will determine the fate of humanity,” declared Gail Whiteman, professor of sustainability at the University of Exeter, as quoted in CNBC at COP28. She highlights that there should be a stern focus on the well being of the poles, as once the ice starts to break away, the consequences of climate change will become more dire and force us to act faster.

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