UK Announces Crackdown On Immigration, Decision To Hit Indians 

London: The UK on Tuesday unveiled plans to further its crackdown on immigration through work and study routes from non-EU nations, in a move expected to make it difficult for British firms to hire professionals from countries like India.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the annual Conservative Party conference in Birmingham she will be looking at a range of options to cut migration.

New rules are expected to make it tougher for British companies wanting to bring in foreign professionals from outside the EU, including countries like India.

She also announced that from December, landlords that knowingly rent out property to people who have no right to be in the UK will be committing a criminal offence and could go to prison. Immigration checks will be a mandatory requirement for those wanting to get a licence to drive a taxi.

From next year, banks will have to do regular checks to ensure they are not providing essential banking services to illegal migrants. The crackdown will affect students from India planning to study in the UK; their numbers are already at an all-time low.

We will also look for the first time at whether our student immigration rules should be tailored to the quality of the course and the quality of the educational institution... We need to look at whether this one size fits all approach really is right for the hundreds of different universities, providing thousands of different courses across the country”, the minister said.

However, she stressed that the new rules will be brought in after consultation with businesses and universities. This isn't about pulling up the drawbridge. It's about making sure students that come here, come to study. We're consulting because we want to work with businesses and universities to get this next stage of our reforms right, Rudd added.

For migration within the EU, the home minister unveiled plans to overhaul legislation to make it easier to deport criminals and those who abuse UK laws while Britain negotiates its complete exit from the economic bloc.

PTI