|
British Immigration Plans Will Drain brains from Developing Countries.
By Njualem Columbus
The UK government recent's plans to tighten its immigration system have been attributed to exposing low skill workers to exploitation and instigate brain -drain in developing countries especially Africa whose economies is already suffering as a result of high “intellectual migration”.
The white paper, “making migration work for Britain” the biggest shake- up in UK immigration system in 40 years is based on the assumption that workers from the newly enlarged EU will mostly fill low skills labour shortages. The door will definitely be closed to unskilled workers from developing
countries.
On the contrary the system will reward those with money to invest and the most highly skilled migrants who come to work in Britain with the rights to bring their families and faster routes to citizenship than present. Would be immigrants would be awarded point based on their skills qualification, age and experiences which would then be used to decide whether they could come to Britain and if so how long and in what capacity.
This contrast sharply with limited number of low skills workers from developing world who will be able to come to UK for a maximum stay of 12 months, will have to leave their families at home and will have their wages paid into their bank account back home to ensure that they leave the country at the end of their contract. The white paper also proposed that financial bond guaranteeing their return home will be demanded from migrants whose personal circumstances or routes of migration suggest that they may break their immigration rules. Employers will also ensure that migrant workers comply with roles of their visas.
This immigration plan have strongly attracted criticism from labour union, experts, diplomats and organisation concerned with migration and poverty alleviation especially in Africa. Critics say the plans would expose low skilled workers to exploitation by denying them their families the possibility of staying in the country for a long term.
The cornerstone of the plan lies on attracted qualified, experienced skill workers like doctors, engineers, and accountants, consultants etc to stays in UK even if they do not have job offer. Experts feared this plan is going to encourage a serious brain drain especial from Africa. According to the institute of public policy research, brain –drain cost the developing world 10%of its college-educated population each year.
This brain drain is tantamount to imposing economic sanctions to developing world. Raiding the poorest countries for their talent. Britain for instance recruits 3,300 trained nurses from Africa, the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent .the exact number of those who lost their lives as a consequence cannot be told…..
Head of UK Joint Council for the Welfare of immigrant Habib Rahnan reiterated that such immigration plans would allow Britain to cherry-pick the talents of the developing countries contributing to brain drain and making it tougher for low skilled workers to come to Britain. The government cannot be committed to making poverty history and at the same time making migration harder for people from those countries.
|
