LONDON, Feb 7 (AFP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair's government proposed a raft of measures Monday to make it harder for unskilled foreigners to seek work or shelter in Britain, including English tests and finger-printing.
The five-year plan follows a call by the opposition Conservative Party last month for quotas for asylum seekers, as the race heats up for an expected general election this May in which immigration will be a key theme.
"It is a practical and systematic response to the real problems of asylum and imigration," said Home Secretary Charles Clarke as he introduced the proposals in parliament.
"It will provide a simple and robust system for economic migration; it will tighten our rules for permanent settlement to ensure that those who stay do bring benefits to the United Kingdom," he said.
"It represents real determination to eliminate illegal entry, illegal working, asylum abuse and the people trafficking gangs that -- through their heinous crimes -- gain the most from the failures of our system."
Britain currently admits 140,000 to 150,000 immigrants per year.
Under the proposals, which excludes EU nationals, foreigners applying to work in Britain will be considered under a new points-based scheme that will consist of four tiers, ranging from highly skilled to low-skilled and students.
An independent advisory body will decide which skills are needed and allocate points accordingly.
The relatives of foreign migrants with residency will lose an automatic right to gain their own permit, and there will be no automatic right for permanent residency for less skilled workers and students, who will be forced to leave upon the expiry of their visas.
Even skilled workers, such as doctors, teachers and nurses, will win the right to stay in Britain permanently only if, after five years of supporting themselves financially, they pass an English test, the home secretary said.
In addition, most foreign workers will need a sponsor, usually their employer, who will work with the government to ensure the rules are followed.
As for the heated question of asylum, Clarke said that refugees will be granted only temporary rather than permanent status while the government reviews their home country situation. Only if it has failed to improve after five years will they have the right to stay on in Britain for good.
The government also pledged to speed up the application process and ensure that those who are rejected actually leave the country.
"The government will introduce tighter controls throughout the process, including using technology such as tagging and voice recognition, to assist removal," it said in a statement outlining the new proposal.
Britain's borders will also be strengthened using new technology from April to reduce illegal entry.
"Over the next five years we will use new technology to transform our immigration control including the roll-out of e-borders, and fingerprinting everyone who applies for a visa," Clarke said.
"We will build on our achievements with asylum, cracking down further on those who seek to exploit our system."
02/07/2005 17:17 GMT - AFP