International

U.K.'s new immigration policy

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON MAY 30. More Asian and black Commonwealth citizens would be able to come and work in Britain under proposals intended to meet domestic labour shortages and remove the "bias" towards white overseas workers. The move, it was stated, was also aimed at curbing illegal immigration.

"By opening up routes for people to come and work here legally in ways that help our economy, we can help reduce unfounded asylum claims," a Home Office Minister said as latest figures showed no decline in asylum applications and the Government threatened to crack down on asylum seekers whose applications are rejected. Under the new plans, the Working Holidaymakers' Scheme, which allows young people from the Commonwealth to work here during their holidays, would be made more attractive for non-white workers. Though theoretically even now it is open to all Commonwealth citizens, its stringent rules tend to favour the more affluent white youth. A whopping 96 per cent of those who have benefited from the scheme, started in 1962, have been from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.The Government said it was important to encourage young people from Asian and African Commonwealth countries to make use of the scheme. This would be done by removing restrictions which have discouraged non-white participation.

Measures being discussed to make it more attractive include increasing the upper age limit to 30 years, and removing the bar on taking up professional work. At present, it is restricted to unskilled and semi-skilled jobs.

A parallel programme is planned for people from east European countries such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. East Europeans would also benefit from the move to expand the seasonal agricultural workers' scheme under which overseas workers are employed temporarily on British farms.

The idea is to fill the gaps in temporary agricultural jobs.

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