Immigration rules are to be toughened to cut the number of non EU migrants allowed to work in Britain as more workers lose their jobs in the economic recession.

Jacqui Smith is to pledge that the number of workers from outside the EU will be less in the next financial year than the number who took jobs in the twelve months to the end of next month.

The Home Office is preparing to make it more difficult for migrants to enter Britain by changing the rules of the points based system under which people from outside the EU now come to work.

The moves will hit highly skilled migrants, skilled workers and students who want to stay on at the end of their courses.

Ms Smith is acting just weeks after the wildcat walk outs took place across Britain in protest at foreign workers taking British jobs.

The move comes amidst deepening concern among Labour backbenchers at the potency of claims that large numbers of foreign workers are entering the country at a time when tens of thousands of British workers are losing their jobs.

A Home Office spokeman said last night:”The Government’s Australian points based system means we can raise or lower the bar on who can come to the UK.

“We have always said it is important to be selective about who comes her to work and we have already put a stop to low skilled workers entering the UK from outside Europe”.

The spokesman admitted that even in an economic downturn Britain would still need migrants workers. He added:”We need to be sure they are the pople whose skills are relevent now”.

A total of 151,000 work permits were issued to people from outside the EU in the eleven months to November last year - a 17 per cent increase on the 140.000 issued in 2007.

In addition in 2008 an estimated 26,000 people came to Britain under the highly skilled migrant programme.

Ms Smith’s plans involve tightening the criteria of the highly skilled migrant programme under which points are awarded to a migrant based on their educational qualifications, age and salary level.

The changes are intended to reduce the numbers entering and are also expected to make it more difficult for non EU students to move into the programme when they have finished their degrees.

Ms Smith has already announced changes to the way jobs for skilled workers are advertised to ensure that British workers have a fair chance of applying for them.

Skilled jobs now have to be advertised for a minimum of two weeks in Jobcentre Plus branches before firms can seek workers from outside the EU. The rules were changed after claims that some jobs were being advertised in obscure media outlets.

Ms Smith cannot restrict the number of people from the EU who come to work in Britain but figures to be published on Tuesday are expected to show that those coming eastern Europe are continuing to fall.

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