The
Government today released an Immigration White Paper including work-related
measures which it hopes will help to make the most of asylum seekers
qualifications, skills and experience for UK businesses.
The
measures include;
–
The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme – a system in which highly skilled
migrants get points for the skills, knowledge and experience they have in order
to work in the UK – so that we can attract the best of the world’s brainpower
–
Measures to enable foreign students who have graduated in the UK, student
nurses, postgraduate doctors and dentists, to switch to work permit employment
–
The reform of short term casual and seasonal labour – building on the
principles of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Scheme (SAWS) to ensure that
sectors with short term labour needs can recruit the staff they need
–
Reform of the working holidaymakers scheme, with a consultation document
looking at ways to make it less restrictive, open to all skill levels, and
available to the EU accession candidate countries
–
Ministers of Religion – encouragement for qualified foreign nationals already
in the UK to apply, so that postholders are not drawn disproportionately from
those outside the UK who may have very limited knowledge of British society and
our fundamental values. For those entering the UK ensuring they have an
understanding and appreciation of the language and culture of the UK
–
Better regulation of the work permit advisory services.
The
Home Secretary, David Blunkett, said: “We are not a ‘fortress Britain’. We are
an open, trading economy, and we need to ensure that we can recruit the people
we need to compete and prosper in the new global economy. But we need to be
hard-headed and realistic about the impact of clandestine entry and illegal
working on our social cohesion and fair working practices.
“I
am determined to balance a new comprehensive and holistic approach to managed
migration by a tough, competent and clear process for dealing with claims from
those wishing to remain in the UK."
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