Flexibility is essential in tackling complex issue of immigration

IF EVER the shortcomings of a 'one-size-fits-all' policy across the UK is open to practical objection it is in the area of immigration.

The new coalition government has announced a temporary cap on the number of skilled non-EU immigrants entering Britain, ahead of permanent restrictions due to be introduced in April of next year.

Immigration was a big issue with many voters south of the Border, even though it was not until after the election that senior Labour figures such as Ed Balls recognised the potency of popular concern. There can be little doubt that areas of high immigrant concentration in English cities have created stresses on housing and welfare departments and bred resentment.

But in Scotland the incidence of such concentration has been rare, while employers have appreciated the greater access and availability of overseas workers in recent years. What such workers from Eastern Europe in particular may lack initially in command of English has been more than made good by their enthusiasm for work, their desire to earn and by a level of application that is not always found among indigenous workers here. Migrant workers have also shown a willingness to take on jobs that many in the domestic labour force regard as inferior or unacceptable. The lack of incentive for indigenous workers has been made worse by a welfare system that can undermine the motivation to take paid employment.