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Companies will be forced to list foreign workers as Government gets tough on immigration

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The government has announced proposals to force firms to list all foreign staff on their payroll, shaming those that deliberately turn down British staff.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd (above) announced the plans as the Government takes measures to tighten their grip on immigration in the wake of the Brexit vote.

According to The Times, the proposals are intended to pressure companies to “prevent migrants taking jobs that British people can do”, thereby encouraging them to employ more local people.

Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference, the Home Secretary said: “The test should ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do.”

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The announcement echoes Gordon Brown’s “British jobs for British workers” plans when he was Prime Minister.

It is thought that the current Government can actually put through the proposals once they are not bound by EU laws and regulations.

Firms could also be forced to show how hiring non-EU workers hits the local job market, essentially publicly shaming them.

Ms Rudd’s announcement is a clear attempt to toughen up on immigration, which the government wants to reduce to the tens of thousands every year from the current figure of 327,000.

Several business leaders reacted with outrage to the announcement and the effect it would have on companies.

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Vote Leave: The plans come in the wake of Britain voting for Brexit (Rex)

Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills policy at the Institute of Directors, said: “Businesses know that the EU referendum result means change to free movement of workers from the EU, but people were not voting to make the economy weaker.

“The evidence is clear that migrants are a benefit to the economy.”

CBI Deputy Director-General Josh Hardie added: “Businesses will not welcome further restrictions on high skilled migration from key trading partners around the world, especially as a series of changes were only announced earlier this year.”

“At a time when we need strong links globally to seize new opportunities after the referendum, being seen as open to the best and brightest is vital.”

The pound fell to a 31-year low against the dollar yesterday in the wake of the Government’s tougher approach to immigration.

Top pic: Rex