Taxi Driver Online

Daily Mail

IMMIGRANTS given special visas to fill 'highly skilled' jobs are working here as taxi drivers and food packers.

Two in ten of the 50,000 'elite' new arrivals are earning below the average wage, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne admitted.

Critics said it is proof the programme has been abused.

From 2002 the scheme offered foreigners the chance to settle in the UK permanently after they had lived here for four years.

To be accepted, migrants had to show qualifications which would allow them to work in jobs such as medicine or engineering.

But there was no requirement for them to have secured a job here first, and many instead entered low-skilled professions.

Last year, Mr Byrne tightened up the requirements to join the scheme and said those who had exploited it could be deported.

But a report by peers and MPs last night said the changes breach the migrants' human rights and should be scrapped.
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Two in ten?

Round here, it's close to one in five!

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Former taxi driver

It seems the minister doesn't rate our job that much.

Minister thinks we are unskilled

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IDFIMH

a clear case of foot-IN-mouth disease

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Well clearly the level of skill required depends on what's required by the local licensing authority, so to that extent the minister's remarks were correct.

After all, in the context in which he was speaking the immigrants referred to probabably wouldn't have bothered getting a driver's job if the relevant authority had required some evidence of skill other than a standard car driver's licence.

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Taxi Driver Online
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