A business owner in south London has expressed concern that new immigration policies could significantly impact enterprises reliant on skilled labor from overseas.
Aneesa Khan operates Bombay Pizza, an Indian-Italian fusion restaurant in Wallington, which depends on experienced chefs from South Asia to prepare its signature dishes.
Ms. Khan, who reached the final of The Apprentice with her business, fears that tightened immigration regulations could deter the skilled talent necessary for her operation from choosing to come to the UK.
Her comments follow a statement from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood at the Labour Party conference, where she indicated that anyone wishing to obtain permanent residency in the UK would need to engage with their community, citing volunteering as an example.
In her address, the Home Secretary outlined her intention to introduce a range of new requirements for individuals seeking to remain in the UK indefinitely. These include being employed, making National Insurance contributions, refraining from claiming benefits, achieving a high level of English proficiency, maintaining a clean criminal record, and actively contributing to the community, such as through volunteer work.
Ms. Khan noted, “All our chefs are from South Asia—Bangladesh and India—which is essential for delivering authentic cuisine. Our customers specifically seek that genuine flavor.”
She added, “Currently, there aren’t enough chefs locally to meet our needs, so we must recruit internationally. If these new regulations are implemented, it will greatly affect a small business like mine that relies on skilled foreign labor.”
“The industry is already grappling with escalating food and energy prices, so this poses an additional challenge for us.”
In July, the government increased the salary threshold for visa sponsorship to £41,700 annually for new applicants, impacting various professionals, including Transport for London (TfL) employees, who start at £31,000 as graduates and earn salaries ranging from £35,300 to £41,800 for trainee station staff positions.
The Mayor of London urged the government to reconsider its immigration policies, which have excluded certain transport roles from the “skilled worker” category, a move that the TSSA transport union warned could jeopardize the positions of up to 300 TfL workers.
Sir Sadiq Khan revealed that the deputy mayor for transport, Seb Dance, has reached out to the migration minister, requesting an immediate reassessment of these measures to safeguard TfL employees.
The Home Office maintained that its immigration white paper aims to “restore order” to immigration processes and promised to respond to Mr. Dance’s letter at an appropriate time.
Additionally, the government has plans to extend the waiting period for many individuals seeking Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five years to ten.
The Home Office stated that these proposals would undergo a consultation expected to launch by the end of this year, with further information anticipated after its conclusion.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing among those who have structured their lives around the previous five-year pathway.
Mehdi, a software engineer from Iran who arrived in the UK on a skilled worker visa, was on track to secure ILR in 2027. He regards the proposed changes as a violation of trust.
“It is essential for a government to treat all individuals fairly, regardless of origin,” he expressed. “Changing the rules unexpectedly feels quite unjust.”
He added, “What if all my efforts, all those years I’ve dedicated—probably the best years of my life—are rendered pointless? That thought constantly lingers in my mind, overshadowing every aspect of my life and just won’t fade.”
More detailed information will emerge after the upcoming consultation; however, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stated his belief that maintaining control over migration is a valid objective and that he is ready to make decisions that may not always align comfortably with Labour Party principles.
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