Search

Attention: home affairs; politics; industrial correspondents

Immigration and asylum - positive aspects, but government should do more to counter myths

Reacting to today’s announcement by the Home Secretary on the future of asylum and immigration policy TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

'There are positive aspects to today’s plans but we are concerned that the government is not doing enough to counter myths about asylum and immigration and there are too few measures to tackle rogue employers who exploit migrant labour.

'We welcome the government’s commitment to continue to honour international obligations to provide a safe haven for refugees fleeing danger.

'While we will need to study the detail, we believe a shift from a work permit to a points system for migrant workers could be progressive. A work permit ties an employee to a particular employer, and means that in practice the employee is powerless to protest about exploitation as if they lose their job they risk deportation. A points system could give workers an effective right to switch employer. We will press for this to be made clear. This could end much of the effective forced labour of legal workers we highlighted last week. The proposal to look at skill shortages with social partners could help build better training programmes as well as a fair migration policy.

'Employers who exploit migrant workers by denying them basic rights are at the end of many supply chains for goods and services that we buy everyday. Too often they get away with their shady practices. There are some signs that the government intends to get tougher with such employers and we will press hard to ensure that bad bosses are punished for the way they treat their workers as well as for breaking immigration laws.

'There is undoubted public concern about migration and asylum. Every government must have rules and ensure that they are fairly and properly applied. But some public concern is clearly based on ignorance and even prejudice. It is the job of government not just to counter this, but celebrate the positive role that migrant workers and managed migration make to the economy. Government can provide real assurance by ensuring that migrant workers are employed on the same terms and with same rights as everyone else, not just in theory but in practice.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access

pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

- A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 9am-9pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Contacts:

Media enquiries : Ben Hurley T: 020 7467 1248; Pager: 07699 713182 ; E: bhurley@tuc.org.uk
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk

Skills for Life and media enquiries : Dan Ashley T: 020 7467 1372; M: 07880 504 846;
E: dashley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (600 words) issued 7 Feb 2005