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Following the post-Brexit immigration plans unveiled by the government, BII, COO, Steven Alton, says: “The news that government is planning to deny working visas to “low-skilled” workers from outside of the UK comes as a real blow to our industry.

“People who work in hospitality contribute a huge amount to our economy, and in a time where pubs, bars and restaurants are keeping our high streets and communities alive, we should be supporting them however and wherever we can.

“Hospitality work is not “low-skilled”. Training and development in our industry is fantastic; career progression is clear, but we rely heavily on labour from overseas and to change this in 10 months will put an incredible amount of pressure on businesses of all sizes.

“We need to have an immigration system that supports the already under-staffed hospitality sector and encourages the growth that we know we can achieve alongside the right business rates reform.”