By Agencies

BRITAIN plans to curb immigration from Asian and African countries by tightening up its "holidaymakers" work scheme for young Commonwealth nationals, according to a leaked government memo quoted in Sunday newspapers.

The confidential Downing Street memo, dated May 17, says Prime Minister Tony Blair wants to cut by as much as two-thirds the number of Africans, Caribbeans and South Asians participating in the program, The Sunday Times said.

If enacted, the move would signal a U-turn from Blair's earlier pledge not to impose such limits, amid concern in some quarters about an influx of migrants from the EU enlargement countries.

The eight-page memo describes proposals for change, made at a top-level meeting a week earlier, for the Commonwealth Working Holidaymaker scheme, said the Sunday Times.

That program, which enables young adult Commonwealth nationals to work in Britain for up to two years, was widened two years ago to encourage more people from countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and India to benefit, it said.

The government commented on the leak on Saturday, telling the Sunday Telegraph newspaper - which ran a similar report - that the memo was under consideration and that plans for action would be made public "soon".

An official close to Home Secretary David Blunkett told the paper: "We have found some abuse - but it's not been widespread."

During the May meeting, Blair reportedly called for changes to the scheme to take place within weeks, in order to prevent "abuse from the New Commonwealth countries", the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Those changes, according to the papers, include: quotas on those qualifying for the Commonwealth scheme, to be reviewed annually; a ban on allowing those participating in the scheme to switch to a normal work-permit while in Britain; and making applicants prove they can afford to move to Britain and also pay for their return trip home.

Immigration has become a major political issue in Britain, as Blair's cabinet has fought to beat back popular fears of a flood of asylum-seekers and economic migrants from the enlarged EU.

In April, immigration minister Beverley Hughes was forced to resign after her ministry, bogged down by a backlog of work, was accused of rubber-stamping the visa applications of Eastern Europeans from future EU member states.

The Sunday Times said that up until 2002, 96% of the 40,000 people participating in the Working Holidaymaker scheme in Britain were mostly white nationals from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.

That number, it continued, dropped as African, Asian and Caribbean states climbed to represent 12% of the participants.

But the leaked memo, written by a Downing Street adviser, also warned that any changes to policy would "require careful handling to avoid accusations of perceptions of discrimination", The Sunday Times quoted it as saying-AFP
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