Staffing New points-based migration system is announced A new points- based system to enable the UK to control migration more effectively, tackle abuse and identify the most talented workers was launched by the Home Secretary on 7 March 2006. The Home Secretary called on industry and education sectors to play their role in making migration work for Britain, and reminded them that they had a responsibility to help make the new scheme a success. The points based system is a central part of the Government's five year strategy for asylum and immigration, which was published in February 2005, and is committed to a wide-ranging plan: 4 to ensure that only those who benefit Britain can come here to work or study 4 to strengthen the UK's borders; to crack down on abuse and illegal immigration 4 and increase removals. Its implementation is a key Government priority The scheme will be complemented with a tougher approach from British embassies abroad to weed out false applications and will place increased obligations on UK businesses and universities who will now be required to sponsor migrants and help to ensure that those they sponsor adhere to the terms of their visa. Some of the key elements of the system include: 4 consolidating more than 80 existing work and study routes into five tiers: tier 1 - highly skilled, e.g. scientists or entrepreneurs tier 2 - skilled workers with a job offer, e.g. nurses, teachers, engineers tier 3 - low skilled workers filling specific temporary labour shortages, e.g. construction workers for a particular project tier 4 - students tier 5 - youth mobility and temporary workers, e.g. working holiday makers or musicians coming to play a concert 4 points to be awarded to reflect aptitude, experience, age and also the level of need in any given sector, to allow the UK to respond flexibly to changes in the labour market 4 financial securities for specific categories where there has been evidence of abuse to ensure that migrants return home at the end of their stay. Home Secretary Charles Clarke said: 'Managed migration is in the interest of the UK. Today's announcement sets out the Government's policy to deliver a firm but fair, simpler, more transparent and more rigorous system, which will benefit our economy and protect our borders. 'Crucially, it will allow us to ensure that only those people with the skills the UK needs come to this country while preventing those without these skills applying. Foreign workers or students will also in future need a UK sponsor to vouch for them, ensuring that businesses and colleges take responsibility for making sure foreign workers and students comply with visa rules.' The situation seems to have broken down into two very divergent camps on this subject with the restaurateurs claiming the possible end of many establishments and the detractors failing to accept that argument.   Migrant Watch UK argument represents the group that disagree with many of the Government's basic assumptions :- Migrants - Do they bring economic benefit? 1. Limited skilled migration, in both directions, is a natural and beneficial feature of open economies. The issue is one of scale.   2. Government claims for the economic benefit of large scale migration do not survive critical examination. The calculation that immigrants contribute £2.5 billion annually to the Exchequer depends entirely on the period chosen and the assumptions made. The Home Office paper on which it was based describes the estimate as "tentative". Against that, the annual outflow of personal remittances amounts to £3-4 billion a year; the net outflow is about £1.1 billion per year. Claims that migrants add to economic growth ignore the fact that they also add to our population. Correcting for this gives a net benefit to the host community of less than 0.1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head per year - a result confirmed by major studies in United States, Canada and Holland. Even this benefit takes no account of the additional economic congestion costs.   3. The claim that migrants contribute to pensions is dismissed by the UN as requiring "virtually impossible" rates of immigration. The House of Lords economic committee concurs. The labour market impact depends on the sector. To the extent that immigration holds down wages, it makes it more difficult to attract into the labour force the one million on incapacity benefit who would like to work.   4. There are considerable social costs in terms of additional strains on housing, public services and social cohesion. A range of serious commentators have concluded that the issue cannot, and should not, be decided on economic grounds alone.   The following people do not need work permits:  4 European Economic Area (EEA) nationals (member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom).  4 People born in Gibraltar  4 Commonwealth citizens who were allowed to enter or to remain in the UK on the basis that a grandparent was born here.  4 Husbands, wives and dependent children under 18 of people who hold work permits, or who qualify under any of the above categories or those listed below as long as the endorsement in their passport places no restriction on their employment here.  4 Those who do not have any conditions attached to their stay in the UK. Under the Immigration Rules a person does not need a work permit if they qualify under one of the following categories and they have obtained prior entry clearance at a British Diplomatic Post abroad, where necessary:  4 Those coming to the UK to set up a new business or to take over or join an existing business as a partner or director, or as a sole trader.  4 Ministers of religion, missionaries and members of religious orders.  4 Representatives of overseas newspapers, news agencies and broadcasting organisations.  4 Private servants in diplomatic households  4 Representatives of overseas firms who are seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary.  4 Teachers and language assistants under approved exchange schemes.  4 Employees of an overseas Government coming to do a job for their Government or international organisation of which the UK is a member. 4 Seamen under contract to join a ship due to leave British waters on an international voyage.  4 Senior operational ground staff of overseas-owned airlines based at international airports.  4 Seasonal workers at agricultural camps under approved schemes.  4 Doctors and dentists in postgraduate training.  4 Entertainers and sportspeople participating in benefit matches and charity events for which there is no fee, or in international competitions.  4 Entertainers and sportspeople attending trials and auditions which do not involve a performance to fee-paying audience. (Paid rehearsals do require a work permit).  4 Entertainers participating at certain festivals.  4 Working holidaymakers undertaking employment incidental to their holiday. but not engaging in business, providing services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, to pursuing a career in the UK. On the other side of the argument the restaurateurs argue that they need staff from the country of cuisine origin because that is the language of the kitchen and they are needed to provide authentic food. One of the major lobbyists for the acceptance of more staff from the sub-continent has been the Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs. We have yet to see how well the new points system will work but with the pressure from Eastern European staff providing a willing albeit unwelcome pool of labour, it seems that the face of much of our Indian and Chinese restaurants industries are set for a permanent change. Skilled chefs from India and China will still have no problems in taking jobs in UK but with qualification and experience as part of the points system it will no longer be enough just to want the job as an applicant or need the staff as an employer. One of the main problems is that little acknowledgement is given to front of house. A restaurant stands or falls as much on its service as its food yet applicants for front of house post would seem to score low in the points system. Perhaps we should suggest the unspeakable by saying here is an ideal opportunity for a language requirement to come into the equation. If English cannot be spoken and understood then service to the customer must suffer quite apart from the numerous health and safety issues.   top