Curry house bosses who voted Leave during the 2016 Referendum feel “let down” after getting to know that EU migrants may receive priority access to the UK after their exit from the European Union.
It is alleged that ministers may be drawing up a plan for EU citizens to get preferential access from workers from other nations in sectors where there is a short supply of skills as an agreement to offer in trade negotiations with the EU.
However, this suggested plan is said to have caused bitter disapproval from leaders in the curry industry in the UK – an industry worth £4.3 billion. Leading figures from the curry industry were enticed into backing Leave during the referendum as they were promised that Brexit would make it easier to bring top and prominent chefs from the South Asian region.
Organising secretary of the Bangladesh Caterers Association, Mitu Chowdhury told the media, “We attended every single campaign meeting with Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and Michael Gove and they said that the British curry industry would be a first priority. We think we have been let down.”
Chowdhury also believes that giving preference to EU workers would “be a disaster” and could have curry houses pushed right at the back of the queue when it comes to visas. He said, “Every day, one or two more restaurants close down and in most cases it is because they cannot find the skilled staff.”
The founder of the British Curry Awards, Enam Ali stated, “On many occasions we recall Boris Johnson and others say it was very important that we could bring in chefs from outside the EU because the market needed it. But now it seems as if nobody is entertaining the idea.”
