doors closing...

The UK government is closing its doors on skilled immigrants. And my fear is that it might be closing the coffin on itself doing so.

My immediate reaction is disappointment, and I guess each of us is entitled to an emotional reaction to such matters. Especially with thoughts in the near future possibly working in London, this tighter cap on skilled non-EU immigrants into the UK is disappointing.

According to the BBC report I read (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11816979), though not explicit, it seems to be a sound policy decision after some gurus do magical calculations, they arrive at certain figures and go "yup, let's stop the immigration of these skilled folks, especially those from outside the EU". With no hard facts to back this claim however, I do believe that non-EU skilled labour (from the US and Asia) significantly contribute to the companies and economies based in London (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11783973). When a time London's appeal as a global financial centre is still shaky from the financial fall-out, I'm not too sure this is a wise policy move.

Policy makers are banking on the fact that local British will get their skills up, so that City-based companies will not have to look abroad for talents. I find this slightly amusing when just on the back of this the government is fiddling with university school-fees cap, making it more expensive for local students to study at university. How these 2 policies meet, I'm not quite sure.

But I suspect these Oxbridge alumni in the government are not silly people. I am sure they know this might not be economically sound at a time when the UK needs to shore up on that front. Perhaps there is more political agenda thrown into the mix than I would like.

Whilst I was in the UK, I had a suspicion that many British, especially the young believe that immigrants and foreigners (the Polish perhaps and me yellow-skinned) were taking away their jobs; typical starting point of xenophobia. And that same sense of insecurity/ arrogance and I probably think fear might be reflected in what  Home Secretary Theresa May said:


"Working in Britain for a short period should not give someone the right to settle in Britain. Studying a course in Britain should not give someone the right to settle in Britain.

"Settling in Britain should be a cherished right, not an automatic add-on to a temporary way in."

Whilst I understand there have been abuses to the system, and policy-wise and politically-wise is very undesirable, responding in this manner is tantamount to being a grumpy old grandmother who's had little children run into her garden and in the process of bringing life and vitality to her cottage, tramples on the flower-bed. But that's just my take. I cannot comprehend how this might be a decision made by a sophisticated nation. Or is it?

For Britain to think that it can depend on its own youth given the current state of affairs, I'm worrying. Though not representative, I met a British traveling through India who said "Britain is really not the place to be at the moment; I'm thinking of Australia". Looking at Coventry town filled with babies in prams and the bellies of pubescent single-mothers, I do worry.

I can only hope that politicians in the UK do the right thing for its people, and not merely try to do things right in their short-sighted term in office. Oh well, but what more can you expect from politicians anyway.

Uncle T