Immigration rules are to be toughened to cut the number of non EU migrants allowed to work in Britain as more workers lose their jobs in the economic recession.
Jacqui Smith is to pledge that the number of workers from outside the EU will be less in the next financial year than the number who took jobs in the twelve months to the end of next month.
The Home Office is preparing to make it more difficult for migrants to enter Britain by changing the rules of the points based system under which people from outside the EU now come to work.
The moves will hit highly skilled migrants, skilled workers and students who want to stay on at the end of their courses.
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