UK immigration Flawed policy will hobble Britain in global race David Cameron repeatedly claims that Britain is open for business. Two weeks ago the UK prime minister insisted that success in the global race for jobs and growth would depend on “connecting up with the fastest-growing parts of our planet [and] reforging friendships where they were forgotten”. Yet both of these objectives are being jeopardised by a deeply flawed immigration policy. The latest muddled attempt by Theresa May, home secretary, to crack down on immigration is proof that the blunt target on net migration should be abandoned. It is alienating the rapidly growing countries that Mr Cameron wants to do business with. The Home Office has been forced to climb down on proposals that visitors from certain “high risk” countries (including India) post a £3,000 bond to enter the UK. It is now saying the bond would apply only to those likely to overstay their welcome, while high risk countries remain to be identified. Nonetheless, India’s business community has accused the UK of discrimination. With one clumsy announcement, Ms May has undone the goodwill that Mr Cameron’s trade-focused visit to India created in February. Yet, ultimately, the prime minister is responsible for the policy contradictions. The Conservative party made a grave mistake when it pandered to popular unease with a promise to cap net migration at 100,000 by 2015. Unable to restrict movement from the EU, the target demands a bigger squeeze on non-EU migrants. Total foreign student numbers have fallen dramatically, while business worries that the target could hinder the recruitment of already scarce skilled labour. Yet these are the very migrants that Britain needs. The government does have to address concerns over illegal immigration. However, the answer is not to deter legitimate visitors from coming to Britain. It is to have a better system for tracking down illegal immigrants and forcing them to leave. The first step is to verify who has entered and who has left. The UK’s eBorders programme will address this. But it has been plagued by delay. The priority should be to get the system right rather than introduce politically popular, but economically counter-productive, policies. Mr Cameron says the global race is on. He is right. But Britain cannot win the race with a self-imposed handicap. The highly skilled migrants who can help to drive economic growth will have their pick of destinations. The best policy is one that ensures Britain is their first, rather than last, choice.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 07:35:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015