Growth pains
Without overseas labour – whether it be highly-skilled surgeons or people undertaking important, but menial jobs like cleaning – the NHS will not function. Nevertheless, the status quo cannot persist, given warnings that white British people will be in a minority by 2066 if present levels of immigration remain unchecked. As such, Ministers must abide by the Migrant Advisory Committee's recommendation to cut the number of non-EU workers coming to Britain.
Of course, Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, is right to voice his concerns about how such a draconian approach might impact upon the recruitment of those multi-national companies that underpin the economy. However Britain has allowed itself to become a "soft touch" for too long, and many of Mr Cable's concerns would have been nullified if existing policies had been correctly implemented.
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Hide AdIt is counter-productive to offer visas to highly-skilled workers who do not have a definitive job offer. As well as denying placements to those businesses who genuinely need to recruit from overseas, the fact that one in three such people are working as supermarket cashiers or security guards, for example, denies vital job opportunities to those people being expected to find work as part of the coalition's welfare shake-up.
This is why a new approach is required that meets Britain's business and social needs, neither of which is adequately reflected by existing policies.