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Can't allow top talent to be drawn to US, China: UK's Rishi Sunak on immigration

Rishi Sunak: “We cannot allow the world’s top AI talent to be drawn to America or China,” Rishi Sunak said.

Published on: Nov 22, 2022, 13:06:00 IST
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British prime minister Rishi Sunak unveiled a new scheme for the world’s 100 most talented young professionals in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) as part of his vision to make the UK a "beacon" to attract the “brightest and best” from around the world.

Rishi Sunak: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seen. (AP)
Rishi Sunak: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is seen. (AP)

“We cannot allow the world’s top AI talent to be drawn to America or China,” Rishi Sunak said addressing the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) annual conference in Birmingham.

Pledging to create “one of the world’s most attractive visa regimes for entrepreneurs and highly skilled people” and make use of the “Brexit freedoms” to strike trade deals with “the world's fastest-growing economies”, Rishi Sunak said, “That’s why, building on the AI scholarships and Master’s conversion courses I instigated as chancellor, we are launching a programme to identify and attract the world’s top 100 young talents on AI."

Read more: UK PM Rishi Sunak says he fears for his daughter’s safety: ‘As a parent…'

“We must be honest with ourselves. Part of the reason we ended the free movement of labour was to rebuild public consent in our immigration system. If we are going to have a system that allows businesses to access the best and brightest from around the world, we need to do more to give the British people trust and confidence that the system works and is fair," Rishi Sunak said.

"That means tackling illegal migration and that is what I am determined to do," the UK's PM asserted.

  • Mallika Soni
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    Mallika Soni

    When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?"