UK Policy Archives

Press Release - Tuesday 7 March 2006

JCWI response to the Home Office announcement of the points based system today

Habib Rahman, Chief Executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said:

"We welcome the Government's acknowledgement of the positive economic contribution of migrants and recognise the positive intention behind the points system to restore public confidence in the immigration system and ensure migrants are welcome in the UK

"However denying all possibility of settling in the UK to lower skilled and unskilled migrant workers could create a workforce ripe for abuse by exploitative employers. Temporary workers have fewer employment rights in any case. Temporary settlement rights will be a double whammy ensuring a whole group of workers are unable to seek remedy for abuse they suffer. Some may have to enter the irregular employment sector to escape such abuse. Such factors could drive down employment conditions for everyone

"We should also recognise that migrant workers who send money home are keeping families and towns some parts of the developing world going. The points system will make it much harder for a group of workers and the families they support at home to find a route out of poverty through migration because the return on their investment in migration will be much reduced. The Government says it is committed to Making Poverty History in the developing world - how is making migration harder for people from those countries going to help that? "