Migrant worker impact discussed

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The benefits of employing migrant workers are to be discussed at a conference in Suffolk.

The meeting is supported by the East of England Development Agency (Eeda) who said companies needed to understand the new points-based immigration system.

It aims to address issues raised by the government's plan to cut the number of foreign workers from outside the EU coming to the UK, Eeda said.

The conference is to be held in Newmarket on Thursday.

Eeda said the new measures were aimed at ensuring businesses only took on skilled migrant workers, but presented the biggest shake-up of the immigration system for 45 years.

Mark Ellision, migrant workers manager at Eeda, said: "There will be businesses across the UK who are weighing up the pros and cons of employing migrant workers, but perhaps see the legal and practical issues of recruiting them as a step too far.

"Not only will delegates at this conference hear from businesses who are already reaping the rewards of skilled and dedicated migrant workforce, they will be given the confidence and appropriate guidance by expert support organisations to navigate their way through the various procedures involved."