Support pledged for migrant workers

Monday, 5 September 2005 12:00 AM

The contribution overseas workers make to the UK economy should be recognised and welcomed, a joint statement from the Home Office, the CBI and the TUC says today.

As the debate over levels of immigration escalates in the wake of the July 7th attacks on London, the statement insists that managed migration can have significant benefits.

"Now more than ever, we need the skills and enthusiasm of people from around the world who have chosen to make their homes here and to contribute to our economy and society," it says.

"To help them to do that, the country needs to invest wisely in their potential within the context of a migration system that is managed in the national interest."

The statement sets out for the first time how government, employers and trade unions can each work to ensure economic migrants are given the support they need.

Part of this is making clearer the contribution migrants can make to Britain to the general public, and all three groups have pledged to do more to ensure people understand clearly who is allowed into the country and why.

In reference to concerns about Britain poaching healthcare staff from other countries to meet a skills shortage at home, the statement also includes a commitment to respect the need of developing countries to retain their skilled professionals.

And the government promises to protect the legal rights of migrant workers and keep bureaucracy "to a minimum" in its dealings with employers about migrant workers, and introduce a simpler scheme for people wishing to work in Britain.

For its part, the CBI promises to support measures to eradicate illegal working and to promote integrated and diverse workforces, while the TUC says it will do more to educate migrant workers about their legal rights and promote equality of pay and conditions.

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