Sinn Féin MLA John O’Dowd has welcomed the economy committee‘s commitment to raise its objections with the British government over the scoring mechanism for immigration, which will discriminate against the very front line workers we have been relying on in the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic. 

Mr O’Dowd said:

“I raised concerns at today’s economy committee about the British government’s Immigration Bill which will mean health workers and other frontline staff facing greater barriers to working for the benefit of our society and economy.

“The economy committee has once again put on record its opposition to this bill and its flawed point-scoring system. 

“ This bill is driven by the xenophobic nature of some policy makers rather than on the needs of the health service or the economy.

“The multi-national ground of our health service staff at all levels proves beyond doubt that those fighting the Covid-19 virus are heroes  from all nations of the globe.

“They are key workers, many of whom would be barred entry under the proposed new British government’s scoring mechanism.”