The Indian Overseas Congress has criticised the British government for the raw deal meted out to Indian doctors and highly skilled migrants by effecting changes in immigration rules affecting them.

"We disagree with the UK government on its treatment of thousands of Indian doctors brought to fill the shortage of skills in hospitals in the UK under the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme who should not be subjected to expulsion and poor treatment through retrospective legislation," Atma Singh, President of IOC, UK, said.

Speaking at a function organised to celebrate the 58^th Republic Day of India in Knightsbridge, Atma Singh said, "We are 100 per cent with these Indian doctors in their fight for justice".

About 16,000 Indian doctors have been rendered unemployed and face expulsion after the British government effected changes in the immigration and employment rules, effectively barring government hospitals from hiring doctors from outside the EU unless they can demonstrate that a suitable local candidate is not available.

The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin sought a judicial review of the immigration laws but the high court rejected their case on February 9.

The organisation has now gone to the appeals court where they have filed a petition seeking review of the high court ruling and a stay on the implementation of the new rules until their appeal is decided. But it could be months before the case is decided and meanwhile the petitioners remain in a limbo.

Stephen Timms, MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the UK government was the chief guest at the function attended among others by Monika Kapil Mohta, Minister of culture at the Indian High Commission and Director, Nehru Centre and Stefan Kosciuszko, Director Asia House.

Atma Singh said, "The situation is driven by the European Commission adopting an increasingly whites-only immigration strategy -- keeping out any more people from India and other third world countries, however well qualified and however well developed the countries become.

"This is neither a progressive nor a fair policy. It is the policy of a reactionary Europe, with neo-fascist forces fighting elections and dictating the agenda of mainstream governments.

"We need to form an anti-racist alliance of Indian organisations around the core issue of anti-Indian discrimination."

Stephen Timms said there should be greater coordination and cooperation between India and UK to make globalisation a success. He said a successful outcome of the Doha Round of negotiations was in everybody's interest.