UK skilled immigration cap might hit economic recovery

United Kingdom, 22nd July: Putting arbitrary caps on UK immigration will restrict growth of UK economy in the times to come, comes a warning from BCC (British Chamber of Commerce).

Employers in the UK will be left with no choice but to stop hiring right people on the jobs. Moreover, cap on skilled UK immigration will reduce high paid immigrants in the UK who submit huge amounts as taxes.

The move by UK immigration department will restrict companies from hiring overseas professionals with specialized skills, says the BCC.

Businesses in the UK require to hire right people for the available jobs in the UK in order to help in the economic recovery and any limits by UK immigration on skilled immigrants to be allowed into the country each year is, undoubtedly, a big threat for the nation’s development, states director of policy, BCC, Adam Marshall.

No doubt, Marshall clarified the fact that although several business members of the BCC admit the need to control immigration in the UK, however, there is also a necessity to have competitiveness.

UK immigration minister Damian Green also admitted the significance of alluring the best and brightest minds into the UK to strengthen economic prosperity in the country but uncontrolled immigration levels in the UK are putting huge burden on public services in the country.

Mr. Green and Dr. Marshall had appeared on Tuesday before the home affairs select committee.

The recently introduced cap on UK immigration had come under severe criticism from several critics who argue that people of the UK are not concerned, in any way, with the highly skilled immigrants allowed in the country and said that decreasing limits of UK immigration will limit public finances following reduction of immigrants paying huge sums as taxes.

Points based system (PBS) was introduced by the earlier UK government which prohibits unskilled immigrants from non-EU nations to move to the UK unless in those areas which face severe skills shortage.

Although, temporary immigration cap has been put into place with effect from 19th July 2010, however, it is likely to be replaced by a permanent cap on UK immigration from next year.