Despite new curbs, many Indians take up jobs in UK

Prasun Sonwalkar
London, Aug 12 (PTI) Amidst efforts by the David
Cameron government to reduce immigration from non-European
Union countries, new official figures have astounded many by
disclosing that between April and June this year, 37,000
Indians came to Britain for work.
The figures by the Office of National Statistics put
a question mark on efforts by Immigration Minister, Damian
Green, to place an annual camp on non-EU workers who could
come to the UK for employment.
Between April and June, 186,000 people started work
in Britain, of which 145,000 were foreign and 41,000 were
British.
More than half of the foreign workers – 77,000 – came
from within the EU, who have the right to work in Britain.
Of those who came from outside the EU more than half
- 37,000 - came from India, indicating that Indian
professionals have skills that are much in demand in Britain.
The figure includes many IT professionals.
The figures have generated concern at a time of
recession, job cuts and unemployment faced by British workers,
and have been described as 'astounding' by MPs.
Keith Vaz, the Indian-origin Labour chairman of the
Commons' Home Affairs committee, said his committee would
investigate the sharp rise.
He said he was "amazed and surprised" by the figures,
adding: "What it shows is that the Government’s intention is
not going to work.
"They might want more British workers to get jobs
but membership of the European Union mean that non-Brits will
get those jobs. The problem is that the immigration cap does
not deal with EU migration. The committee will examine the
numbers of EU immigrants and its impact on the total figures
within the cap."
James Clappison, a senior Conservative MP, said:
"These figures are astounding. It is very worrying that
employers are not looking at the British workforce to meet
their needs. It is very important if not urgent for the
Coalition to place tough limits on migration from outside the
EU."
Damian Green, the Immigration Minister, said: "This
Government believes that Britain can benefit from migration
but not uncontrolled migration. It is our aim to reduce the
level of net migration back down to the levels of the 1990s —
tens of thousands each year, not hundreds of thousands.
Introducing a limit on migrants from outside Europe
coming here to work is just one of the ways we intend to
achieve this."
David Green, a director of the thinktank Civitas,
added: "The figures show that unless we control immigration it
has the potential to undermine efforts to reform welfare by
encouraging claimants to return to work. The taxpayer will be
left with a large bill for benefits." PTI PS
MYR



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