Migrants from outside Europe will see their annual fees for using the National Health Service double under new plans, the United Kingdom government announced on Monday. The health surcharge is paid by professionals, students and others from countries like India if they seek to live in the UK for six months or more.
The current health surcharge, which was introduced in 2015, is £200 (approximately Rs 18,000) per person for a year. This has been increased to £400 (approximately Rs 36,000). For students, the discounted rate of £150 (approximately Rs 13,500) will go up to £300 (approximately Rs 27,000) per year.
The government said that the move will ensure that migrants made a “fair contribution” towards the costs of health services, The Guardian reported. The surge will also raise around £220 million (approximately Rs 20,000) annually for health services, the ministers said.
“Our NHS is always there when you need it, paid for by British taxpayers,” UK Health Minister James O’Shaughnessy said, according to the Independent. “We welcome long-term migrants using the NHS, but it is only right that they make a fair contribution to its long-term sustainability.”
The Conservative Party in its 2017 general election manifesto had promised to double the surcharge. It had also promised to double the Immigration Skills Charge per year in the Tier 2 visa categories, including the intra-company transfer visa popular with Indian information technology companies, the Hindustan Times reported.
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