Rudd defends tighter immigration proposals after widespread criticism

Home secretary Amber Rudd defended her proposals to tighten immigration rules, following strong criticism from business leaders and accusations she was inflaming xenophobia and racism.

In a speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham on Tuesday, Rudd proposed a raft of measures to "put the interests of the British people first", including forcing companies to reveal how many foreign workers they employ in order 'name and shame' those that fail to take on British staff, and clampdowns on overseas student numbers.

“We mustn’t ignore the fact that people do want to talk about immigration; if I want to talk about immigration, don’t call me a racist,” Rudd said on BBC radio on Wednesday.

“We should be able to have a conversation about immigration, about what skills we want to have in the UK and where we need to go to get them, in order to help business and boost our economy.”

Rudd awakening

With the employment rate for UK nationals the highest since recorded data began and the country enjoying record levels of employment, Rudd's proposals were attacked by opposition parties and business leaders for being misguided, unnecessary and potentially damaging to the economy and British society.

The CBI stressed the value of immigration to the UK, saying businesses will not welcome further restrictions on high skilled migration from key trading partners around the world.

"At a time when we need strong links globally to seize new opportunities after the referendum, being seen as open to the best and brightest is vital," said deputy director general Josh Hardie. "And we should be clear that business does not see immigration and training as an either/or choice. We need both."

He also warned that try to cut numbers of foreign students would be damaging to UK students.

“The UK's universities are a crown jewel in supporting innovation, growth and skills development. Many courses are sustained here in the UK because we can attract students and faculty from around the world.”

Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills policy at the Institute of Directors, was resigned to the fact that immigration will be a major bone of contention between companies and the government and argued against Rudd's claim that immigration was hurting jobs, as the UK has a record level of employment.

"Businesses know that the EU referendum result means change to free movement of workers from the EU, but people were not voting to make the economy weaker,” Nevin said. "The evidence is clear that migrants are a benefit to the economy."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Wednesday said the government had "sunk to a new low this week as they fan the flames of xenophobia and hatred in our communities", fostering "division and discrimination".

Manufacturers’ organisation the EEF, said industry was already invest heavily in the domestic workforce via apprenticehips and the propsed measures will anger many companies.

“The fact is that the current immigration system for the 'brightest and best' migrants - who are needed by the UK - is already a costly and burdensome game of snakes and ladders for employers," the EEF director of employment and skills Tim Thomas said. "Further endless changes to regulation will frustrate employers who are simply looking to recruit the best person for the job in the absence of a functional approach from Government to the up-skilling of UK workers."

Rudd's test

In her first major speech as Home Secretary, having been appointed by Theresa May, the former holder of the role, Rudd said she may come up with a stricter test for companies wanting visas for foreign workers.

“The test should ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do. But it has become a tick-box exercise, allowing some firms to get away with not training local people. We won’t win in the world if we don’t do more to upskill our own workforce,” she said.

Despite previous tightening of visa rules under May's reign as Home Secretary and a target to restrict net migration to below 100,000 a year, it soared to 327,000 last year.

However, not only is employment at record levels but the employment rate for UK nationals is the highest since at least 1997, when records began.

There was praise for some parts of the speech, with the CBI saying the announcement on more funding to support public services in key areas of the country "is welcome".