Britain plans to reduce immigration in the face of a weakening economy and rising unemployment, the Times newspaper quoted immigration minister Phil Woolas as saying on Saturday.
“If people are being made unemployed, the question of immigration becomes extremely thorny … It’s been too easy to get into this country in the past and it’s going to get harder,” Woolas told the paper in an interview.
“This government isn’t going to allow the population to go up to 70 million,” Woolas said. “There has to be a balance between the number of people coming in and the number of people leaving.”
At a time of economic difficulties, employers should put British people first or they will risk fuelling racism, Woolas said.
Immigration has been high under the Labour government which came to power in 1997, and the Times said net immigration is estimated to be more than 200,000 a year until 2012.
Woolas also said he opposed an amnesty for people who came to Britain illegally because it would encourage more illegal immigrants.
The government recently adopted a system under which would-be migrants are awarded points depending on their value to the British economy, designed to encourage skilled immigrants and reduce the number of unskilled economic migrants. Britain’s population is around 61 million.
Source: Times Of India
Recently, Prime Minister David Thompson made several statements at a meeting of building contractors a month ago, expressing his views on the high unemployment rate amongst barbadians and the preference for labour from “parts know and unknow.”
Prime Minister David Thompson has issued a stern warning to the business sector: stop importing labour and employ Barbadians instead. “This mad rush to parts know and unknow for labour, cheap and not so cheap, must and will stop under my watch!”……….the reality is that there is an unsatisfactorily high level of unemployment in Barbados among Barbadians. I have told the Immigration, I have told the Public Service and now I am telling the private sector – the rot must stop. I want Barbadians working!” he said. Sunday Sun 09/14/2008
St.Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonzales wasted no time in rejecting his colleague’s statement and warning of consequences ahead.
Dr Gonsalves, whose country is fairly high among beneficiaries of freedom of movement under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. described Mr Thompson’s declaration as cutting across “both the spirit and letter” of the CARICOM Treaty and warned that the rationale for tackling Barbados’ unemployment difficulties could result in serious problems for the CARICOM single market “of which Barbados is currently the major beneficiary”. Sunday Sun 09/21/2008
Followed by the Mia Mottley remarks.
PRIME MINISTER DAVID THOMPSON’s call for employers to stop importing labour and employ Barbadians instead may not only lead to a breach of the revised CARICOM Treaty, but also the laws of Barbados.
That assertion has come from Opposition Leader Mia Mottley, who described the comments as “unfortunate”. Saturday Sun 09/20/2008
The topic of illegal immigration is a very emotional topic to address. History has recorded incidents of persons, sometimes families stowed away on boats and ships to get away from a substandard living at home and to seek a new and better way of life in a foreign land. On the other hand taxpayers who elect officals to manage their country expect those elected to put the country interest first along with the native population when it comes to managing the country’s resources. Unlike some countries where elected leaders “check” for other countries and then place their own second or last. A sovereign leader mandate is to protect his or her country at all cost. Britain understand this too well. With the global financial crisis spreading like a cancerous disease across the globe, people will have less to spend because of unemployment, because of layoffs, because of cash flow, because of downturn in sales, etc, etc, etc. It is highly suspect leaders will look at the immigration issue. $500 will stretch further for a family of two than four. Which brings me back to the immigration debate.
Holders of Caricom skilled certificates are allowed the freedom of movement under the Treaty of Chaguaramas to competed for jobs in other territories. How can they then be imported labour? Imported labour there refer to employers systematically hiring cheap labour overseas at the determent of bajans due to greed and ignorant in how it will affect the local labour force in the end. Those that have ears, let them hear and well they did hear or read. Does not a government have a right to manage its resources as see fit? Put the country and its countrymen interest first above all else? Deal with the illegal immigration as humanely as possible without “cutting across the spirit and letter” of the Caricom Treaty? Did we elect leaders to cower in fear or have the guts to stand up and put Barbados first for bajans?
A mighty YES to all!!!
Countries across the globe are looking at the immigration issue and taking steps to effectively deal with it. Why should we be any different?
Sovereignty should not be a political football to score political points with.
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are yet to see any significance reduction in a basket of goods. No one intends to lead the way because the companies and their subsidiaries’ board of directors are interlocked with each other. Anyone leaving the nest will probably be seen as a traitor. So just sit back and immerse oneself in the greed is the likely the though process. This price gouging sector complained that any price reduction is too slight to pass on to consumers. Who will lead the way? Who will be the first to remember there is such a thing as social responsibility? Does the distributive sector intent to co- operate with government or get come out shooting with guns to protect their precious turf? Unless they want a return to price controls, they better get their act together fast. The implications are clear.
Talk Yuh Talk!