Migrants face tighter work rules

[Uthman]

Non-EU migrants should not be able to take a skilled job in the UK unless it has been advertised to British workers first, the home secretary has said.

The government had to make sure policy on overseas workers was "responding to the current economic circumstances", Jacqui Smith told the BBC.

She has also ordered an investigation into the impact of the arrival of families of immigrant workers.

The number of non-UK-born workers in Britain reached 3.8 million last year.

Workers from non-EU countries are categorised by a points-based system that decides whether they can find work in the UK, while there are no restrictions on EU citizens.

Ms Smith told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "Given the current economic situation, it is right for us now to look at that points-based system and to make sure that it is responding to the current economic circumstances.

"I'm proposing, for example, that it shouldn't be possible for somebody to come into this country to take a skilled job unless that job has been advertised to a British worker through Jobcentre Plus."

From April, non-EU workers wanting to come to Britain without securing a job beforehand must have a master's degree - rather than a bachelor's degree, as currently - and a previous salary equivalent to at least £20,000.

"I am actually raising the bar," Ms Smith said.

The Home Office estimates the move will cut this category of migrant arrivals from 26,000 to 14,000.

'Skills action'

The home secretary added: "I am proposing that we should more clearly link those areas where there are shortages of skills in this country with actually trying to grow the skills within British workers.

"So we'll be putting skills reviews, skills action alongside everywhere where we identify a shortage."

The employment of foreign labour has been a high-profile issue recently after a week-long dispute at the French-owned Lindsey oil refinery in eastern England, which was settled when operators Total agreed to hire more local employees.

Ms Smith also said she had asked the Migration Advisory Committee to look at the issue of non-EU migrant workers' families entering the UK.

"There are all sorts of questions that we might want to ask here: their access to the labour market; the extent to which they, as well as the people that they are coming with, need to demonstrate the contribution that they are going to make to the UK economy," she said.

Source

[Uthman]

Does anybody disagree with this, given the current economic climate?

[Amadeus85]

Everything that decreases the number of non EU immigrants to Europe is good.

[Izyan]

Everything that decreases the number of non EU immigrants to Europe is good.

Do you think the US should take this same stance? We employee a great deal of skilled workers here.

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[Amadeus85]

Do you think the US should take this same stance? We employee a great deal of skilled workers here.

I dont know, USA is nation of immigrants and as for Europe, uncontrolled massive immigration would kill us.

[Fishman]

Everything that decreases the number of non EU immigrants to Europe is good.

:sl:
What about EU immigrants? People in the UK are more concerned about Poles and Romanians than Asians at the moment.

I dont know, USA is nation of immigrants and as for Europe, uncontrolled massive immigration would kill us.

1. Europe is a continent of immigrants. The English don't come from England originally. Many countries have migrated around the place.

2. Uncontrolled massive immigration would kill us, but is economically-motivated immigration massive and uncontrolled at all? There is no threat of Asians flooding the UK and replacing its population, since immigrants usually integrate quickly. Asian boys in schools act just like white boys.

3. Electing far-right, anti-EU and anti-immigrant parties would also kill us. The BNP would invade Ireland and turn Britain into an isolated, fascist North Korea with no democracy to speak of.
:w:

[Amadeus85]

[QUOTE=Fishman;1103121]:sl:

What about EU immigrants? People in the UK are more concerned about Poles and Romanians than Asians at the moment.

MY opinion? If I was Britton I would say- Poles, get the f@#k to your own country for God's sake. :D
The immigrants from EU will go back to their countries, thousands already had done it. Although that I know that brittish industry wouldnt want to loose such cheap workers. My opinion is with the brittish workers saying - "brittish jobs for brittish workers". Asian live in UK since 40 years so they are not "alien" for you anymore.

1. Europe is a continent of immigrants. The English don't come from England originally. Many countries have migrated around the place.

Well yes, they migrated but it was thousands years ago. You know Fishman, even Greeks came to Greece from some other place, but it was thousands years ago. What counts is who built England or Scotland, and surely it werent Poles, Romanians nor Pakistanis.

2. Uncontrolled massive immigration would kill us, but is economically-motivated immigration massive and uncontrolled at all? There is no threat of Asians flooding the UK and replacing its population, since immigrants usually integrate quickly. Asian boys in schools act just like white boys.

Yes, I also began to think lately that its the bad side of capitalism and globalization. The international corporations demand from local goverments to import cheap labour, not asking the citizens of opinion. But Im optimistic and I believe that there must be good solution for this problem. I think that europeans should take example from our friends in Saudi Arabia who simply dont give citizenships to asian and african workers. Non EU Labour should do their job and go back whatever they came from.

3. Electing far-right, anti-EU and anti-immigrant parties would also kill us. The BNP would invade Ireland and turn Britain into an isolated, fascist North Korea with no democracy to speak of.

I dont think that they must be elected, its enough when the mainstream parties take away their slogans and ideas.

[Uthman]

Hi Aaron,

I dont think that they must be elected, its enough when the mainstream parties take away their slogans and ideas.

Are you referring to Gordon Brown here, borrowing the 'British jobs for British workers' line from the BNP? If so, I'm sure you're aware that he later clarified that he didn't mean it in quite the same way that the BNP did. Rather, he was referring to the need to improve the skill levels of British workers, enabling them to compete with people from overseas.

As for whether to believe him, well that's a different story. :D