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Britain's curry houses could vanish because of post-Brexit immigration rules, restaurant bosses claim.

They claim a shortage of foreign chefs could ruin the industry.

New Home Office rules applied from next year will mean skilled overseas workers must speak English and earn at least £25,600 a year.

The points-based system will apply the same rules to non-EU and EU citizens.

Asad Khan, who runs India Dining in Warlingham, Surrey, outlined his fears for the industry.

“The...new immigration rules will make it almost impossible for curry houses to bring trained foreign chefs to the UK," he said.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Ash Balakrishnan, founder of networking group Nation, said of Asian restaurateurs: “They cannot afford to employ skilled overseas curry chefs.

“They cannot employ second-generation Anglo-Indian and Anglo-Bangladeshis because they don’t want to follow their parents into the restaurant sector, and they can no longer employ EU migrant workers to fill those roles.”

Another industry that might be impacted is the army.

Troop numbers are at their lowest level since the Crimean War at just 73,000 – and 6,000 foreign and Commonwealth soldiers have boosted a push to a target of 82,000.

But the Home Secretary’s £25,600-a-year minimum salary threshold for skilled workers means Commonwealth recruits earning less than £16,000 appear to be banned.

Ministry of Defence sources insisted the rules would not affect such recruits, who can enter on a visitor visa – despite working.