Harlequin Restaurant Owner Calls For Government To Reinstate Sectors-Based Accession Nationals Scheme

Sanjay Majhu, chief executive of Harlequin Leisure Group, Europe 's largest chain of Indian restaurants, has called for the government to reinstate the Sectors-Based Accession Nationals Scheme out of a concern that its removal could impact adversely on his business.

Since July 1 st 2005 , owners of Indian restaurants are no longer allowed to bring in temporary staff from India , Pakistan or Bangladesh on a 12-month visa. Changes in the government's immigration rules say that companies must hire workers from EU countries as there are plenty of people looking for work from Eastern European countries.

The Sectors-Based Accession Nationals Scheme allowed immigration of low-skilled workers on a 12 months visa and was considered by Mr Majhu to be vital to his business, given the difficulties he has encountered when seeking to recruit skilled and unskilled staff in Scotland .

Said Mr Majhu, 'The government claims that the Sectors-Based Accession Nationals Scheme was being used by immigrants as a means to gain illegal entry by creating fictitious jobs. But the problem with changing the present system because it has been abused by the few, means that the many legitimate businesses that use the system, like Harlequin, will suffer unduly as a consequence.

'We have tried on numerous occasion but we simply cannot recruit people in Scotland willing to work in unskilled positions in our restaurants. And most of our chefs are sourced from India because, again, we can't find locally skilled chefs willing to work in Indian restaurants.'

Harlequin currently employs around 70 staff on work permits; a significant minority of its payroll. Work permit staff are sourced through Five Star Staffing, a company run by former Harlequin Director, Teresa Docherty with an office in India .

Said Mr Majhu, 'Work permit staff have done wonders for Harlequin - their attitude, their passion and their positivity make a valuable contribution to our operation.'

It is its inability to source local recruits and the value of the contribution made to Harlequin by its permit staff that has prompted Mr Majhu's call for the government to reconsider its removal of the Sectors-Based Accession Nationals Scheme.