UK Plans Migration Crackdown

It's time to get tough on people trying to get into the country - that's according to the new immigration minister. Phil Woolas is calling for a cut in the number of migrants allowed into the UK, as Sky's David Bowden reports.

In the reshuffle, the Prime Minister has put me in change of the immigration policy? Phil Woolas’ appointment as Immigration Minister ruffled a few feathers amongst pro-immigration campaigners, and his latest comments would have done nothing to ease their worries. Out and about in his Oldham constituency, the minister laid out his argument/ for curbing the number of people who are allowed to settle in this country. Mindful of the race riots which scarred Oldham in 2001. I think we have to, as a country, talk about immigration, not talking about it is what led to the problems in my constituency 7 years ago. The lesson of that was that we have to talk about it. We have to do so, in a mature way and a non-discriminatory way, informed by facts, but we have to talk about it. Among the voters of Oldham, Mr. Woolas' views seem to chime.

We need to know how many people are coming, and how many people are living in this country, I think he is doing the right thing.

we can't get jobs and there is too many people, so I think, definitely, this is something required about that.

If you come in and made the effort to come here, then you should be working, not just to live off and feed off the benefit and everything we've got. We have worked for that. So I don't think it's fair that people should be coming in the end, just living off benefits, they should be working, there should be a limit and restriction.

But immigration-support groups are concerned. The government's stance is the thin end of an unworkable wedge.

There are large number of skills in this country, which we cannot fill from, within the indigenous population, or the European Economic Area. And those people, they are gonna have to come in from outside. We are a trading nation.

The Home Office says it's points-based system, similar to that used in Australia, will allow flexible migration. And if it had been up and running last year, 12% fewer migrant workers would have been allowed in. The system is complex and covers a number of skills. For example, a highly skilled migrant who wants to settle permanently in the UK needs to score a total of 75 points or more from a series of categories.

Education is important. If you've got a PhD, you will score 50 points. But a bachelor's degree is only worth 30. Age plays a big part, too. The younger, the better. Those who are under 28 get 20 points. If you are over 31, you get nothing. High earners, too, are valued. Those earning the equivalent of 40,000 pounds or more a year get 45 points. But less pay means fewer points, just 5 is the lowest category.

With recession around the corner and unemployment rising, the government is acutely aware that doing nothing to curb immigration would leave it open to the accusation that British jobs were being snapped up by foreign workers.

David Bowden, Sky News.

参考中文翻译：

根据新的移民部长所说——是时候严加管理试图来英国的人口的时候了。Phil Woolas呼吁减少来英国的移民数量。Sky新闻的David Bowden报道。

在重组过程中，首相任命我来修改移民政策。任命Phil Woolas为移民部长惹怒了一些支持移民活动者，他最近的言论也不能缓解他们的忧虑。在他的Oldham选区，部长发表了言论，要求控制被允许来英国定居的移民数量。竞选的闹事者2001年震惊了Oldham。我认为，作为一个国家，我们必须探讨移民的问题，并不是探讨7年前他们在我的选区导致了一系列问题。我们吸取的教训是，我们必须开诚布公的谈论这个问题。我们必须以一种成熟的，非歧视的，实事求是的方式来谈论这个问题。在Oldham的众多支持者中，Woolas先生的观点似乎能引起共鸣。

我们需要知道有多少人要来，现在在这个国家居住的有多少人。我认为他做的是对的。

我们找不到工作，人太多了，所以，我认为，绝对需要这样做。

如果你来了或者正在努力移民到这里，你必须工作，而不是享受既得利益。我们为那些付出了努力。所以我认为不公平，在我们付出努力之后，他们来享受好处，他们也应该工作，应该有一个限制。

但是支持移民的人也有他们的担忧。他们认为政府的决策是不可行的。

我们的国家有大量的技能，而这些职位不能由本国土著居民或者欧洲地区的居民填满。所以需要从外面引入人才。我们是一个贸易型的国家。

英国内政部表示，英国采取分数体系，类似于澳大利亚，允许弹性的移民。如果去年就加以限制的话，被允许进入英国的人就会减少12%。该体系很复杂，包含了很多技能。例如，如果一个高技能的移民想在英国永久定居，按照一系列标准来考核他的总分必须达到75分。

教育程度也是很重要的。如果你有哲学博士学位，你可以获得50分，但是学士学位仅值30分。年龄也起到很重要的作用，越年轻越好。28岁以下可以得20分，如果你超过31岁，一分也没有。赚钱多的人也比较有价值。年收入40，000英镑以上的人可以得45分。但是赚的越少意味着分数越少，5分是最低值。

由于世界各地经济衰退，失业率上升，政府担心，如果不采取措施控制移民数量，会受到指控，英国的工作被外国工人抢走。