Legal News

Luke Johnson has spoken out in support of immigrant workers and entrepreneurs, saying that they contribute "disproportionately" to the UK economy and help to create jobs. Johnson is the former head of Pizza Express and is chairman of the Centre for Entrepreneurs.

Johnson said that: "Although these entrepreneur immigrants are relatively small who come here and settle, they actually punch above their weight in terms of economic importance.”

The government has made immigration laws tougher and many highly skilled and motivated foreign workers are now unable to come to the UK. Graduates are also now unable to automatically apply for work once their university studies are completed.

Many people come to the UK to start up businesses, and these immigrant entrepreneurs are creating new jobs and helping the economy to recover. Many come from European countries such as Spain and Italy, where the economic crisis is affecting business much more severely.

First and second generation immigrants to the UK have become some of our most successful business leaders. Johnson is not alone in thinking that immigrants make the best entrepreneurs either. Dr Adrian Furnham, writing in Psychology Today, reported that the same pattern is seen in America: “It seems that when we look at business start-ups, particularly those that succeed, immigrants are unusually over-represented among the entrepreneurial and innovative.”

According to Dr Furnham some countries have launched new ‘start-up visas’ specifically for immigrants who wish to launch a new business overseas. Immigration lawyers are able to assist in these matters.

Why do immigrants make such successful entrepreneurs?

Migrants are, by their nature, motivated to succeed. They are hungrier for success and willing to take more risks, and they are hardier. Many immigrants struggle to find work in their specialist field due to discrimination, so they choose to start their own business instead.

Many migrants simple come from a culture with a different work ethic, one in which people, often men, grow up with the attitude that they will work very hard for long hours to support their family.

In August this year, Jamie Oliver described some British workers as being lazier than some migrant workers.

Famous immigrants

There are many famous immigrant workers in the UK, some first and some second generation. Theo Paphitis is a second generation immigrant from Cyprus. As well as being famous for appearing on Dragon’s Den, he is also a retail magnate who owns Ryman, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue.

He started out as a tea boy and filing clerk at a City brokers, but soon moved into retail as he discovered a passion for selling. He set up a property finance company when he was 23 years old, bought NAG Telecom to enter the mobile telephone market, and saved his local football club, Millwall, from administration. He has contributed so much to the UK economy, and it was all achieved by hard work and ambition, and not through privilege and family connections.

Another famous immigrant entrepreneur is James Khan, who also sat on the Dragon’s Den panel. He was born in Pakistan and moved to the UK with his family when he was a child. His father started a clothing company in Brick Lane.

Immigrants often get a bad press in the UK, but many are very hard working and contribute greatly to the UK economy and provide many British workers with job security.

If you are interested in working in the UK, speak to Duncan Lewis. As one of the largest legal aid immigration practices in the UK, they have the experience and expertise to assist with your case.