Moves to protect UK graduates' jobs

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Immigration minister Phil Woolas told The Independent that the Government was looking at tightening the new points-based immigration system covering migrant workers from outside the European Union.

The move comes amid concerns that the 400,000 graduates leaving university this summer will be among the main victims of the economic recession as the supply of graduate-level jobs dries up.

Mr Woolas said that the Government wanted to maintain the "highest possible levels of British graduate employment" in the face of competition from overseas workers.

His intervention comes as the Government is already embroiled in a fresh row over Gordon Brown's promise of "British jobs for British workers" which has been widely quoted by wildcat strikers protesting at the employment of Italian and Portuguese contractors at the Lindsey oil refinery in North Lincolnshire.

Mr Woolas's remarks potentially lay ministers open to the charge that they are now promising "British jobs for British graduates".

He told The Independent: "The points-based system that has been introduced allows us to toughen the criteria, and clearly in the economic situation that is something it is beholden on us to do.

"We want to maintain the highest possible levels of British graduate employment."

According to the paper, his proposal will be discussed by Cabinet ministers as part of a package of measures being drawn up on immigration.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said that it was working with the Department for Work and Pensions on a series of measures to ensure that the immigration system was run for the benefit of the UK.