UK business opposes new immigration curbs

Habib Rahman, of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, warned the new proposals would create a "guest workers" scheme in Britain."The guest workers will have a very restricted right to settle in the UK and will have fewer rights when they are here," he said."It will open them up to exploitation and lead to a two-tier workforce in Britain. The restrictions on legitimate avenues to settle is bound to lead to increasing irregularity and overstaying," Rahman cautioned.However, Andrew Green of MigrationWatch, said the plan would provide an incentive for employers to train British workers rather than take skilled foreign workers "off the shelf".The proposals, announced yesterday in a public consultation exercise, will affect Indian skilled workers as well as domestic workers such as cooks and maids who travel to Britain with their employers.Home Secretary Theresa May said she will "break that link and return to a position where Britain will continue to attract the brightest and best workers, who will make a strong contribution to our economy and society during their stay, then return home." "A small number of exceptional migrants will be able to stay permanently but for the majority, coming here to work will not lead automatically to settlement in the UK," May underlined.Campaign groups said that if foreign professionals were not allowed to settle here permanently, they would rather migrate to countries such as Canada and Australia.


Source: IBN Live