Blair To Impose Immigration
Quota On Africans
& Asians
By
Patrick Hennessy
Political Editor
The Telegraph - UK
6-5-4
- Tony Blair is to impose a quota system on tens of
thousands of black and Asian immigrants seeking to come to Britain,
according to confidential Downing Street documents seen by The
Telegraph.
-
- In a policy U-turn, the Prime Minister has ordered
tough new restrictions to be brought in within weeks to stop abuse "by
those from New Commonwealth countries".
-
- Mr Blair has stepped in to stem what No 10 describes
as a "dramatic increase" in applications from countries such as India,
Pakistan, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Bangladesh after immigration
rules were loosened last year.
-
- The disclosure sparked anger last night among Labour
MPs and pro-immigration campaigners. However, Downing Street confirmed
that action was imminent.
-
- Mr Blair ordered the quota system to be brought in
during a top-level "stock-take" meeting on May 12 attended by senior
ministers, including David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, and Des Browne,
the immigration minister.
-
- Also present was David Lammy, the constitutional
affairs minister and one of the few black members of the
Government.
-
- An eight-page memo, dated seven days later, written by
the Downing Street policy adviser Kate Gross and marked "confidential",
reveals a key proposal by Mr Blunkett and Mr Browne to apply quotas to
the Commonwealth Working Holiday Maker scheme, which allows immigrants
to spend up to two years working casually in Britain. Many then switch
to work permits, prolonging their stay.
-
- Previously, the scheme applied almost exclusively to
"Old Commonwealth" countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada,
but there has been a reported "spike" in applications from Africa and
Asia since last summer.
-
- Quotas to combat immigration have been rejected
repeatedly by Mr Blair in the past.
-
- Last night, Alan Simpson, the Labour MP, called the
move "bigoted", adding: "If there are going to be quotas, they should
not be racial."
-
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