Ulster Unionist Economy spokesperson, John Stewart MLA, has expressed his concerns about the implications of the Government`s post-Brexit immigration plans on the economy and service provision in Northern Ireland.
Mr Stewart said:
“The Government should shape its post-Brexit immigration plans to take account of the issues facing Northern Ireland. The Government has already shown scant regard to Northern Ireland through its Withdrawal Agreement with the EU and I`m very concerned what these proposals will do to the hospitality, retail and agricultural sectors. They could also impact on the delivery of health provision and be an absolute disaster for the care sector in particular.
“These issues have been raised repeatedly, but unfortunately it looks like they have been ignored. I totally accept the importance of any sovereign nation controlling access across its borders, but immigration policy should be designed to work to the advantage of the United Kingdom as a whole and should not have a detrimental impact on its economy.
“We have heard genuine concerns expressed very articulately by Hospitality Ulster and the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium. I hope that somebody in government is listening and I`ll make representations to the Secretary of State so that he can bring those concerns directly to the Cabinet table.”