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Two Cabinet ministers were today under fire over the Leave pledge to allow more chefs and waiters into Britain if the country backed Brexit.

Curry house bosses told how they felt “used”, “let down” and may have been given “false hope” by politicians that quitting the EU would allow more workers in from South Asia to address staff shortages.

Just weeks before the referendum vote last year, now-International Development Secretary Priti Patel launched an appeal for voters to support Brexit, saying it would help “save our curry houses”. She argued that “un-controlled” immigration from the EU meant the UK could not bring in the “talents and the skills” from other parts of the world to support the economy.

“By voting to leave we can take back control of our immigration policies, save our curry houses and join the rest of the world,” she added.

But almost a year on, curry bosses now feel the promise by the Leave campaign headed by now-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, as well as Michael Gove, has come to nothing.

Celebrity chef Oli Khan, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Caterers Association (BCA), which represents 12,000 restaurants and take-aways in the UK, said: “It’s still early days but nothing is happening. We are very worried that they have given us a false hope. We feel really betrayed by the Leave campaigners. They have actually used us to win the referendum.”

On Ms Patel’s “save our curry houses” pledge, he added: “That is what she promised. I believe it’s a false promise. Where is she now? She is not giving us any back-up. Where are Boris and the other Leave leaders?”

Hundreds of restaurants across Britain took part in a “Save Our Curry Day” last June and many restaurateurs voted Out on the 23rd.

But Bajloor Rashid, president of the UK-Bangladesh Catalysts of Commerce and Industry, said: “Priti Patel and other people said we would have people to work in the restaurants. They did not honour it. We feel very let down.” Enam Ali, founder of the British Curry Awards and owner of Le Raj restaurant near Epsom, added: “I don’t think they have delivered yet but I believe they will.” He wants a three-year visa scheme for chefs as soon as possible.

The Government can only start to limit EU migration once Britain splits from the European Union.But its failure to meet the curry industry’s demands has echoes of Leave chiefs backtracking so brazenly over their promise to boost NHS spending by £350 million a week by Brexit.

Former Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith visited the Est. India restaurant in London Bridge last June as part of the “save our curry houses” campaign. At the time, he warned it was “a serious issue”, with 600 curry restaurants closing because they could not get skilled workers to come in.

But Est. India co-owner Shafiul Alom does not believe anything has yet been done on staffing problems. “I feel very disappointed because of the way the Asian restaurant industry was targeted,” he said. “A lot of people fell for this.”

An ally of Mr Duncan Smith insisted there would be change on immigration policy after Brexit, saying: “Businessmen like Mr Alom will be able to tackle their staffing problems once we are out of the EU.” The Leave campaign sent out leaflets condemning the Government’s immigration policy as “biased” and said it meant “talented people from the Commonwealth” and other non-EU countries were being turned away. In an apparent reference to chicken tikka masala, the flyers for Save Our Curry Day added: “With the Government blocking talented curry chefs from coming here to work hard, our national dish is under threat.

“If we vote to leave the EU, we can have a fairer immigration policy based on the skills you have, not the colour of your passport.” Mr Khan wants ministers to act now and warned that curry houses need 20,000 chefs, waiters and managers, and two to three are closing every week.

A Conservative spokesman said: “The right Brexit deal will allow us to take control of our borders while supporting our small businesses.” Theresa May has repeated the goal, missed for years, of cutting net annual migration to below 100,000 after hints the Tories might drop it.

Skilled chefs can apply for a visa, but not if their restaurant provides take-aways.

Immigration minister Robert Goodwill has suggested that more people should be trained in Britain as curry chefs.