'Economic Racism', Legalised in the UK

From January 28th 2002 highly waged people will be given freedom to move to the UK, under the new, Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP). Home Office Minister Lord Rooker announced on Thursday.

High earners with exceptional skills, abilities or experience will be able to come to the UK to seek work The applicants will be assessed on a 'Money' - based system of qualifications and experience. To be considered for the scheme an applicant will need to obtain a minimum of 75 points from the five following areas:

*Past earnings - Educational qualifications - Work experience - Achievement in chosen field - suitably qualified doctors.

The scheme will initially be run as a concession outside the current Immigration Rules.

*Past Earnings

Workers who earn less than, 25,000 pounds a year from, Poland, Brazil, South Africa, Libya, Hungary, Chile, Mexico, Estonia, Turkey, will not be eligible.

Workers who earn less than, 20,000 pounds a year from, Jamaica, Russia, Iran, Morocco, Peru, Tunisia, Thailand, Algeria, Romania, will not be eligible.

Workers who earn less than,15,000 pounds a year from, China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Bangladesh, will not be eligible.

HMSP, is just the latest piece in a long history of racist immigration rules. The vast majority (if not all) of immigration detainees, presently held in detention centres and prisons in the UK, come from the countries mentioned above. Very, very few of them would earn the sums quoted.

HMSP, not only discriminates against these people but depletes these countries of badly needed skilled workers.

At present there over 100,000 vacancies in the London area for unskilled workers, which the government admit can only be filled by economic migration, yet they won't let people into the UK to take these jobs.

National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns
www.ncadc.org.uk