Save Our Spices: Curry chefs lobby Holyrood

Published on Thursday 13 March 2008 21:05

THE curry industry "will die" if action is not taken to address tough new immigration laws, restaurant bosses warned yesterday.

They claimed food quality would deteriorate and warned that up to half of the Indian restaurants currently in business could shut.

The stark warning came as about 100 restaurateurs staged a protest at Holyrood over the changes to immigration rules.

Restaurant owners claimed legislation introduced at the end of last month makes it harder for them to bring in staff from outside the European Union. And they said this created a shortage of kitchen staff in their eateries.

Foysol Choudhury, general secretary of the Bangladesh Samity Association in Edinburgh, criticised new rules requiring immigrants to speak English and have an academic qualification: "Our chefs don't need to speak English. Their curry talks.

He added: "Whoever comes into my restaurant for a job will have to start as a kitchen porter and then he will have to climb the ladder. A kitchen porter gets a minimum wage. Somebody with academic qualifications is not going to accept that.

"The Indian restaurant industry contributes 3.2 billion to the British economy. What is the British government doing to save this industry?"

Asked about the consequences if action is not taken to tackle the issue, he said: "Half of the restaurants will close and we'll lose the food quality. Eventually this industry will die."

Edinburgh entrepreneur Tommy Miah, who is involved in the International Indian Chef of the Year Competition, and owns the Raj restaurant in Edinburgh, added: "We're going to suffer big time. You guys won't be able to have chicken tikka masala anymore I've been offered a couple of other restaurants to take, but I've said I can't do it because I'm struggling with one restaurant."

Immigration laws are reserved to Westminster, but yesterday's protest was about urging MSPs to lobby politicians in London on the issue.

Alex Salmond, the First Minister, who is a well-known curry fan, said the issue was "really serious".

Speaking as he met demonstrators, Mr Salmond said he would continue to draw the UK government's attention to the matter.

He added: "If people can't get the skilled staff then they can't operate their restaurants, and if they can't operate their restaurants then that's damaging for the economy and the social life of Scotland.

"It's something we feel very strongly about.

"Ideally, the new system shouldn't have discriminated and prevented people coming in with key skills. I hope there's sympathy for this."

CRACKDOWN CLOSES DOOR

SUCCESSIVE changes to the UK government's immigration policy have made it harder for people from the Indian sub-continent to settle in Britain. The huge influx of workers from Eastern Europe because of the expansion of the EU has put pressure on Westminster to restrict immigration from outside Europe. In 2005, ministers decided to close a scheme which allowed workers into the UK to work in the hospitality sector. This was a big blow to Indian and Bangladeshi restaurateurs who wanted to employ compatriots to work with them. Later this year a new points-based system for managed migration will mean migrants are allowed in only if they can prove they will benefit the UK economy.