In a surprise move, the government has decided to impose a temporary nine-month cap from July 1 on immigration from non-European Union countries pending a review of its election pledge to introduce a fixed annual limit from next April.
During this period only 24,000 non-EU skilled workers who qualify under the existing points-based system would be allowed.
The decision would affect mostly immigrants from India and other South Asian countries who form the bulk of the non-EU intake. It is a controversial departure from the existing regime that puts no restrictions on the number of skilled workers coming into Britain provided they meet the stringent criteria relating to skills, qualifications and earnings.
It is not clear whether the temporary cap would also apply to overseas students.
A formal announcement will be made by Home Secretary Theresa May on Monday when she will also launch a wide-ranging consultation with business groups and universities on plans for a permanent cap.
Leading British businesses are opposed to an artificial limit arguing that it would make it difficult for them to recruit the necessary skilled staff and damage the economy. Universities, who depend on fee-paying foreign students as the main source of their income, are also strongly opposed to such rigid restrictions.
The decision to impose a temporary cap came barely hours after it was suggested that the proposed consultation meant that there would be no change in the current system until a final decision was taken.
Conservatives blamed the confusion on Liberal Democrats, their junior coalition partners, who fought the election on an anti-cap platform but were forced to accept the idea after joining the government.
Conservative Ministers insisted that the government remained committed to bringing down the number of migrants from “hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands” while taking into account the objections raised by businesses.
The Bangladesh Caterers' Association, representing thousands of British Asian restaurants, said a cap on would seriously hamper recruitment of skilled chefs from outside the EU.
Keywords: European Union, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats
Comments:
I am not sure how this will help the economy in any ways. We are people who come to this country as there is a shortage of the skills that we possess. We pay tax and national insurance that helps the government's funds. We do not claim or dont even want to claim any benefits from the government as we are constantly employed. We are skilled people who add value to economy chain of the UK, as we would do in any or our own country. We go through a strick selection process to enter with no criminal records. On the other hand UK allows millions of EU national with no criminal background check or a selection process what so ever. They want to allow them into the country but not the Non EU. I think Government needs to strongly think this over before making a final decision.
Honestly speaking, I don't think this immigration cap will not work in UK. This is because, UK benefits alot from immigrants coming here to work and pay taxes for the benefit of UK. People who were born and raised in UK never work like immigrants.
Also,most colleges and universities depends on fees pay by immigrants, now there is immigration cap,how would government expects them to get money to run their universities.
U.K's economy is running because there is a huge amount of Asian population who are employed in all the sectors..an immigration cap will reduce migration to U.K. and destroy its economy.