20 April 2007
Campaigners have attacked the introduction of an Australian-style immigration system, which they say ignores the plight of many highly skilled migrants who are already resident in the UK.
Immigration minister Liam Byrne this week announced the timetable for the introduction of the points-based system, which will allow migrants to come to the UK under one of five tiers, replacing more than 80 existing routes of entry.
Ministers intend that the new scheme, to be phased in from early 2008, will allow the government to manage migration more effectively, clamp down on abuse and attract the most talented workers into the economy.
But Rhian Beynon, a spokeswoman for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said: 'It is a mistake to believe that the only driver of immigration can be what the government wants to do for the economy.'
She told Public Finance that the government was giving a false impression that the UK currently accepts only low-skilled migrants, whereas many highly skilled people were trying to carve out lives for themselves but were frustrated by complex immigration rules and racial discrimination.
But Byrne, attending an international conference in Sydney, said on April 18: 'Migration has to support Britain's national interests. A new Australian-style points-based system will be simpler, clearer and easier to enforce. Crucially, it will give us the best way of letting in only those people who have something to offer Britain.'
PFapr2007
