British Immigration cuts on the cards

LONDON – British Prime Minister David Cameron won much attention on his recent trip to the United States with his programme of savage spending cuts. He’s also been sharpening his shears on another front: immigration.

The new coalition government will impose a permanent immigration quota next year, promising to cut levels of migration to rates last seen in the 1990s and dramatically reduce the numbers of non-Europeans allowed to live and work in Britain.

It’s long been a flagship cause for the country’s Conservative Party, which leads Britain’s governing coalition and bitterly complained in opposition that unchecked immigration had strained public services, distorted labour markets and fuelled social divides.

But business leaders have warned that the immigration quota could leave the country short in vital industries – leaving some areas without adequate medical staff, stalling efforts to meet deadlines to build new nuclear power stations, and leaving care workers needed for a growing elderly population in short supply. (AP)