LD MIGRANTS 2LST

The agreement between coalition government partners
Conservatives and Liberal Democrats says: "The Government
believes that immigration has enriched our culture and
strengthened our economy, but that it must be controlled so
that people have confidence in the system".
"We will introduce an annual limit on the number of
non-EU economic migrants admitted into the UK to live and
work. We will consider jointly the mechanism for implementing
the limit," it said.
In its pre-election pronouncements, the Conservative
party had favoured the reduction of net immigration to the
levels of the 1990s – "tens of thousands a year, instead of
the hundreds of thousands every year under the Labour
government".
Kapadia said in the 1990s the overall net immigration
was around 70,000 every year. In 2009, the figure was nearly
150,000. Taking steps to bring the figure down to 70,000 now
will mean a drastic cut, which would be unworkable and would
be liable to face legal challenges.
Michael Gove, Schools secretary, and David Willetts,
Universities minister, have reportedly raised concerns about
the annual cap at a cabinet committee meeting chaired by
deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
The Liberal Democrats had strongly opposed the cap
during the election but agreed to it in the coalition
agreement.
According to a media report, the coalition has been
forced to water down the plan to cap immigration following a
revolt in the cabinet.
Under the revised scheme, executives from
multinational companies and other highly paid foreigners will
be exempt from the strict limits being placed on economic
migrants.
"The first draft of the plan was highly bureaucratic
and would have swaddled businesses in more regulation," a
cabinet source told The Sunday Times.
"But we are now satisfied that companies that want to
move senior managers to this country will not in practice be
hit by the cap," the source said.
Business Secretary Vince Cable made it clear yesterday
that he shared the concerns of his cabinet colleagues.
"The government is looking at how to reconcile an
immigration cap with the need for flexibility to allow
business to operate and universities to attract people from
overseas," Cable said.
In a related development, former Immigration Minister
Phil Woolas accused the Home Secretary of watering down the
Tory pledge to bar immigrants unless they can speak good
English.
The promise was part of Cameron's election campaign
but it has now been disclosed that families of asylum seekers
allowed to settle in the UK will be exempt from the ban. PTI
PS/HSR
RDM



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