From the BBC website:

"UK takeaway jobs ban for immigrants from outside EEA

The government says it wants to reduce the need for businesses to take on migrant workers

Migrants from outside the European Economic Area will no longer be allowed to work in the UK as chefs in takeaway restaurants, the government has said.

The ruling comes after the Migration Advisory Committee (Mac) was asked to review the country's skill shortages.

A similar ban will apply to workers such as hairdressers, beauty salon managers and estate agents from April.

The number of skilled migrants not from the European Economic Area is being capped annually at 21,700.

Sheep shearers

The Home Office has already announced that only graduate-level non-European Economic Area (EEA) workers will be allowed to apply to come to the UK.

Now it has reduced the list of jobs where there is a skills shortage in the UK to eight occupations, including senior care workers, sheep shearers and pipe welders, following advice from the the UK Border Agency's Mac.

Chefs will need to have graduate-level qualifications, with a minimum of five years' experience in an equivalent role, and need to earn at least of £28,260 per year after their accommodation and food.

Those from outside the EEA wanting to work in fast food outlets and takeaways will not be allowed in to the UK at all.

'Workforce skills'

Immigration Minister Damian Green: "These changes will allow firms to bring in people with necessary skills without migrants becoming the first resort to fill a wide range of available jobs.

"This government is also determined to get people back to work and provide business with the skills they need from the British workforce - reducing the need for migrants at the same time as we reduce their number."

The government wants to cut net migration from about 200,000 a year to tens of thousands by 2015.

The EEA comprises countries in the European Union and European Free Trade Association."

While I'm not particularly interested in people's views on immigration - we've been there before - I'd like to know if any of you know a chef (or a multitude of chefs) who have 'degree-level' qualifications. I have two Thai friends in the UK who own restaurants both of which are very popular because of the high standard of food that they turn out. All the staff are Thai (apart from a Hungarian pot-washer). They've tried employing English folks but they're just too lazy to get the job done.

All of the chefs started out as galley rats doing the menial stuff or learnt their trade from the family at home. One of them has worked as a chef at the Dusit Thani. I'm just wondering whether the civil servant who thought this wheeze up actually knows anything about the catering trade at all? I can just imagine al the satisfied customers when Fred from Milton Keynes starts banging out the Tom Yam Kung

Graduate pipe welders?

I know dozens of first rate British welders. All working overseas on oil pipelines and similar, 'cos the money's far better than UK rates. And if that (or kitchen staff) are the jobs open to the sick, lame and lazy that draw the dole, then they've got a shocking surprise coming.

Both kitchen staff and welders / fitters / pipe-layers have to WORK for a living, long hours and less than pleasant conditions.

Imagine the pipe-laying guys in Fukushima at the moment, trying to cut out jammed valves weighing about six tonnes, re-jig the pipework, drop in new kit and get it tested and approved in the shortest possible time. And glowing in the dark as they do so.

Can you see these Job Centre jockeys saying 'Oh yes please' to that? Or standing in front of a hot doner kebab roaster, slicing meat carefully off the spit, keeping it even so that the remainder cooks properly. And as soon as one shwarma is made, do the next, then the next and so on all evening? And that work is simple compared to a good class restaurant kitchen.

Stupid politicians - even more stupid civil servants.

You need the right man for the job. Why not sack all these civil servants and put immigrants in their place?

Oh, sorry, we did that in the nineties.