Indian Restaurant workers in UK badly hit by new immigration rules

New UK immigration rules have caused a severe shortage in semi skilled worker category in UK. Workers in restaurant section are particularly hit by new rules.

Just about three years ago, it was headline in UK dailies that how spicy Indian food, especially tandoori chicken and “karahi chicken” from Indian kitchen has captured the taste buds of English-men. Now Uk is missing exotic dishes from the subcontinent that just a while ago had become their favorite food.

Recent amendments to the immigration laws have caused severe shortage of staff in this sector. New rules gradually being rolled out here give curry houses highly restricted scope to employ chefs, waiters and other support staff from west Asian continent. By any estimate more than 25000 vacancies lie unfulfilled in various restaurants up and down the country. New rules were introduced to stem the flocking of immigrants to UK which is also called as "the largest-ever single wave of immigration the British Isles have ever experienced."

The pinch is being felt across the segment- large or small restaurants, which are facing loss of business due to sudden shortage of waiters and chefs. Restaurant food business is one of the major industry in UK with estimated annual turnover of £3.5 billion employing about 1 lac workers, mostly from the subcontinent. This shortage has caused sudden rise in wages of trained chefs in the country. Many small restaurants not able to pay higher salaries are closing down.

The UK Government does not appear to be relenting on its policy as it feels it has enough of such migrants from Eastern Europe. On the other hand restaurant owners complain it would be absurd to employ Polish staff for Indian food.