So, how will exiting the EU really affect how many foreigners come to live and work in the UK?

所以，脫歐對居住在英國，以及在英國工作的外國人來說，到底有什麼影響？

Let's start with the numbers.

我們從數據上著手。

There are about 3.5 million EU citizens living in the UK, and they make up about 7 per cent of the workforce.

大約有 350 萬的歐盟居民住在英國，他們大概佔了總工作比例的 7%。

Since the Brexit referendum, net migration from the EU to the UK has fallen to its lowest level since 2012, but EU migrants are still adding to the population.

自英國脫歐公投以來，從歐盟國家到英國的淨遷徙數自 2012 年起，便一直呈現最低的狀態，不過，歐盟的移民仍持續移入英國。

In the year to March 2018 an extra 90,000 people came to the UK from the EU.

2018 三月時，另有 9 萬的人從歐盟國家來到英國。

That's out of a total net migration to the UK of 270,000.

為 27 萬的淨遷移人口，再添一筆人數

The Prime Minister Theresa May has

首相梅伊已經

vowed to cut that number to below 100,000.

發出聲明，欲將人數降低至 10 萬以下

So what will happen to all these people on Brexit day?

因此，在英國脫歐那天，這些移民該何去何從？

Well, on March 29, 2019, nothing will actually change.

在 2019 年 3 月 29 日脫歐這天，其實什麼都不會發生

The UK and EU will enter a transition period, which lasts until the end of 2020.

英國和歐盟國家會經歷一段過渡期，一直持續到 2020 年底。

EU citizens entering the UK and UK citizens entering the EU can still come and go as they do now, but from January 2021, under Mrs. May's proposed immigration regime, EU citizens will no longer have preferential access.

不管是移入英國的歐盟居民，還是移入歐盟國家的英國居民，兩者仍然可以繼續遷徙，然而，從 2021 年 1 月開始，在梅伊女士計畫的移民制度下歐盟居民將不再有優先的進入管道。

She wants to attract highly skilled workers from across the globe who can bring the biggest benefits to the UK economy, and to cut the number of low-skilled migrants.

她想招攬全世界熟練的工作者進駐，以帶給英國最大的經濟效益，還有減少工作能力低落之移民的數量。

So how would people prove they're highly skilled?

既然這樣，人民要如何證明自己是熟練的工作者？

Well, people arriving after the transition period will have to meet a minimum salary threshold.

過渡期後進入英國者將須達最低薪水門檻。

As of now, highly skilled non-EU migrants have to earn more than £30,000 a year to work here.

現在，非歐盟國家的移民一年須賺超過 3 萬英鎊，才能在英國本土工作。

That's a threshold that 76 per cent of EU workers living in the UK would currently fail to meet.

這是目前英國近 76% 的歐盟移民無法達到的門檻。

There could still be a cap on the number of people allowed to enter.

此外，移入英國的人數可能還是有限制。

The government currently caps the number of skilled worker visas issued each year to workers from outside of the EU, but it's unclear whether this restriction will continue and at what level.

目前，對非歐盟國家之熟練工作者的簽證，政府每年皆限制數量，但不清楚這樣的限制會持續到何時，以及到達怎樣的程度。

And what about low-skill sectors?

那能力要求門檻低的行業呢？

Won't there be a skills shortage?

不會人才短缺嗎？

Well, potentially.

這是有可能的。

Business groups have warned that sectors like construction, catering, and social care rely heavily on EU workers.

公司集團向某些行業提出預警，像是建造業、餐飲業、重度依賴歐盟工作者的社會照顧。

There are ways around this.

不過總有解決方案。

One pilot scheme allows British farmers to bring in fruit and vegetable pickers for up to six months a year, but Mrs. May has already ruled out a wider system of sector-by-sector exemptions.

一項試驗計畫讓英國農民一年中有六個月的時間是聘請蔬果採摘者的，可是梅伊女士早已制定一套更廣泛的各行業免稅制度。

Another option would be to add EU nationals to an existing youth visa scheme that allows 18 to 30-year-olds from certain countries to come and live and work in the UK for two years.

另一個選擇是，讓歐盟國民取得現存適用於年輕人的簽證計畫，其內容是讓特定國家中 18 到 30 歲的國民，得以進入英國居住和工作兩年。

Let's not forget about the Brits living abroad.

也別忘了住在國外的英國人民。

Estimates of UK nationals living in the EU range from about 900,000 to 1.3m.

估計約 90 到 130 萬的英國人民住在歐盟國家。

Any new UK rules for EU migrants could be tweaked in response to whatever policy the EU adopts for British citizens in the bloc.

英國可能會根據歐盟對英國人民的處理政策，而調整移民的新規定。

So will all of these efforts to reduce migration from the EU have a positive or negative effect on the country?

那這些為減少歐盟移民數量所付出的努力將會對英國造成正面還是負面影響呢？

Well, one independent report from the migration advisory committee concluded that EU migration has been good for Britain overall, raising economic performance and improving public finances.

移民諮詢委員會的一項報告指出：整體上來說，歐盟移民對英國是有益的，他們提高經濟表現、改善公共財政。

But as we know from the referendum, it's not just about the numbers when it comes to such an emotional issue.

然而從公投上來看，提到感情問題，往往不只談論這些數字而已。