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Thousands
of curry restaurant workers gathered in London recently to demand
that the government relaxes new immigration rules to avert a
financial catastrophe caused by crippling staff shortages in the
multi billion pound industry.
Members of the Bangladeshi
community, who were joined by groups from Chinese, Indian, Pakistani
and Turkish catering businesses at the protest in Trafalgar Square ,
also complained that a spate of "heavy-handed" raids
looking for illegal workers at restaurants was damaging business.
Under the new points-based
immigration system for workers outside the EU which came into force
at the end of February, chefs need to speak English and have academic
qualifications to work and live in the UK .
The Bangladesh Caterers
Association says this has left its members unable to recruit trained
Bangladeshi cooks and critically short of staff, threatening the
future of the industry.
It estimates there are 27,500
vacancies in Bangladeshi-run restaurants.
Demonstrators carrying placards
demanding "Save Currynomics" surrounded the base of
Nelson's. "This
law will make staff shortages a very big problem for us,"
a representative said. Demonstrators also called for an end to
Border and Immigration Agency raids.
Shabul Muhth said his two
restaurants in Kent had been raided at around 6.30pm on Friday and
Saturday nights, the peak time for his business. Around 18 uniformed
officers arrived on each occasion and closed the restaurant, he said.
Customers who were halfway
through their meals had to leave without paying their bills. Staff
members then had to wait for two to three hours while they searched
the premises, checked documentation and fingerprinted some members,
he added.
"They
didn't find anything but it spoilt business for those nights."
No action was taken against the restaurant, he added.
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