Tories are launching a crackdown on immigrant taxi drivers working illegally in the UK, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has announced.

The profession was singled out by Mrs Rudd in her speech to the party conference in Birmingham, as she promised to “get immigration under control”.

Net migration, currently 335,000 a year, would be reduced to “tens of thousands”, she said.

Mrs Rudd said quitting the European Union would mean an end to open-door migration from Europe - but the Government also wanted to cut immigration from the rest of the world.

And she announced a £140m Controlling Migration Fund to help public services in areas with high numbers of immigrants.

It’s similar to a policy announced by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at his party conference last week.

Setting out plans to cut immigration in her ICC speech, she said: “From December, immigration checks will be a mandatory requirement for those wanting to get a licence to drive a taxi.”

While she didn’t give any explanation of why taxi drivers were being targeted rather than people in any other line of work, the policy only makes sense is if the Government believes there is currently a problem with people who have no right to work in the UK driving taxis.

Other measures include making it a criminal offence for a landlord knowingly to rent out property to people who have no right to be here.

And banks will have to do regular checks to ensure they are not providing essential banking services to illegal migrants.

The Home Secretary announced measures likely to anger employers and universities.

She said the Government is to consider tightening the test companies have to take before recruiting from abroad, effectively making it harder for firms to recruit foreign staff.

Mrs Rudd said: “The test should ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do.

“But it’s become a tick box exercise, allowing some firms to get away with not training local people. We won’t win in the world if we don’t do more to upskill our own workforce.”

And she said rules which allow students to work in the UK will be toughened up - for the less prestigious universities.

“Our consultation will ask what more can we do to support our best universities - and those that stick to the rules - to attract the best talent, while looking at tougher rules for students on lower quality courses.”

She insisted: “This Government will not waver in its commitment to put the interests of the British people first. Reducing net migration back down to sustainable levels will not be easy. But I am committed to delivering it on behalf of the British people."

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/tories-launch-crackdown-illegal-taxi-11977077?

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BURY PH Crash is blamed on Manchester Taxi ? ? ?

A 90-year-old woman has been taken to hospital with life threatening injuries after a crash between a lorry and a taxi outside Strangeways prison at about 12.30pm on Tuesday.

The roof of the taxi had to be cut off by fire services to free the woman, and she has been taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary with chest injuries after the major crash on Bury New Road.

The road is currently closed in both directions.

A police spokeswoman said: “We got a call at about 12.55pm after a crash between a lorry and a silver Ford Focus taxi on Bury New Road.

“Ambulance services attended and assisted a 90-year-old passenger. Fire services had to removed the roof from the taxi to get the woman out of the vehicle. The injuries, perhaps due to her age, are life threatening.

“The road is blocked off and she appears to be the only person injured.”


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/crash-bury-new-road-strangeways-11977873?