Ibrahim Dogus responds to the Home Secretary

Responding to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd’s comments on immigration, Ibrahim Dogus, director of the British Kebab Awards and chair of the British Takeaway Campaign, said:

“The takeaway sector will be heartened by the Home Secretary’s pledge to deliver a post-Brexit immigration system that continues to welcome those who contribute to this country’s prosperity. Immigration has played a crucial role in helping our sector thrive – it now supports 230,000 jobs and contributed £4.5 billion to the economy last year.

“With a third of takeaway restaurants experiencing skills shortages, particularly for chefs, and more than a third saying Brexit will make it more difficult to recruit staff, it’s vital that the immigration system enables the sector to access the skills it needs from inside and outside the EU.

“A three year transition period is a welcome first step, but this needs to go hand in hand with action on skills, and investment in high-quality vocational training to develop home-grown talent. We are also calling for a review of the occupational shortage list to enable takeaways, particularly curry and kebab houses, to access skilled chefs from outside the EU.”