Iftekhar urges UK govt to relax point-based immigration policy
Friday, 21 March 2008
Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Thursday expressed the hope that the British government would relax its newly-announced point-based immigration policy to allow Bangladeshi chefs to work in popular curry restaurants in the UK, reports UNB.
At a press briefing at the Foreign Ministry he said Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed raised the matter and other problems facing the Bangladeshi community over there with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the bilateral talks at 10 Downing Street on March 18.
Iftekhar also said about 10,000 to 12,000 curry restaurants mostly run by Bangladeshis contribute $4.0 billion to the economy of the United Kingdom and the British government is aware of it.
'There is a mutual benefit on board,' he noted.
'Now, if it could be proved that Bangladeshi cuisine of 'chicken, curry and masalla' is a specialised art and it cannot be prepared by Polish chefs, there is a chance of sectoral exemption of the immigration policy,' he said. Already, he added, some problems emerged in Scotland for shortage of staff in curry restaurants.
However, the adviser noted a catering institute is being set up in Sylhet with the assistance of DFID to train chefs and caterers. The certificate from this institution will be tantamount to recognition of skilled manpower to get jobs in the UK.
Iftekhar said he had meetings with DFID Minister Douglas Alexander who announced financial support for setting up the institute. 'And we've kept up pressure over the matter,' he said.
At a press briefing at the Foreign Ministry he said Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed raised the matter and other problems facing the Bangladeshi community over there with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during the bilateral talks at 10 Downing Street on March 18.
Iftekhar also said about 10,000 to 12,000 curry restaurants mostly run by Bangladeshis contribute $4.0 billion to the economy of the United Kingdom and the British government is aware of it.
'There is a mutual benefit on board,' he noted.
'Now, if it could be proved that Bangladeshi cuisine of 'chicken, curry and masalla' is a specialised art and it cannot be prepared by Polish chefs, there is a chance of sectoral exemption of the immigration policy,' he said. Already, he added, some problems emerged in Scotland for shortage of staff in curry restaurants.
However, the adviser noted a catering institute is being set up in Sylhet with the assistance of DFID to train chefs and caterers. The certificate from this institution will be tantamount to recognition of skilled manpower to get jobs in the UK.
Iftekhar said he had meetings with DFID Minister Douglas Alexander who announced financial support for setting up the institute. 'And we've kept up pressure over the matter,' he said.