Balti fried and Chinese taken away

The UK government's new Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill will have a devastating affect on the country's many curry houses and Chinese takeaways.

The Bill, to be debated soon by the House of Lords, will impose a two-year jail term and fine on employers hiring illegal foreigners.

This would mean that many Asian takeaway, who now rely on these unskilled, illegal workers, would have to either pay more to hire legal employees, or just close shop.

The Times say ultimately this Bill will benefit unskill workers from Eastern Europe, who have found jobs plentiful in kebab houses.


This is from The Times:

Chinese and Indian restaurant and takeaway owners are campaigning to persuade
the Government to continue letting thousands of Asian people into the country to
help to make the curries. But ministers have refused, telling caterers to speak
English in their kitchens so that vacancies can be filled by workers from
Eastern Europe.

Kebab houses are meanwhile benefiting from a boom in
staff, with many asylum-seekers and new European Union members coming from
traditional meat-skewering nations.

Some comments from those involved:


Thomas Chan, who chairs the Chinese Takeaway Association

He estimated that between 30,000 and 50,000 workers a year were needed.

“The head chef will find it difficult to communicate with these Eastern
Europeans. If there is no mutually understood language, how are they going to
give instructions? It’s not just a pinch of salt here and there. It’s the
culture.”

Ashraf Uddin, the secretary-general of the Bangladesh Caterers’ Association

He said that at least 20,000 workers a year were needed to work in Britain’s 10,000 Indian restaurants. He said that the Government had told them to take Eastern Europeans.

“Unless they know our culture, our language, our way of working, it’s a complete
mess.”

Taflan Dikec, president of the National Association of Kebab Shops

He said that there were already 40,000 kebab takeaways, with numbers growing fast. Refugees had provided a source of labour but Eastern Europeans were able to make more than kebabs.

“They are capable, if the Chinese and Indians gave them an opportunity. They
have this myth that Chinese food can only be cooked by a Chinese person or
Indian by an Indian.”

There is also a story in the Guardian



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