Indian restaurant bosses will stage a protest at Holyrood today over changes to immigration laws.

Indian restaurant bosses will stage a protest at Holyrood today over changes to immigration laws.

Restaurant owners claim legislation which came in at the end of February makes it harder for them to bring in staff from outside the European Union.

And they say that that has created a shortage of kitchen staff in their eateries.

Up to 200 demonstrators are expected to take part in a protest at the Scottish Parliament this afternoon.

And with immigration laws reserved to Westminster they will demand MSPs lobby politicians there on the issue.

Bashir Ahmad - Scotland's first Asian MSP - said that the change could cause a "curry crisis".

He said: "Having been a curry restaurant owner myself in the 1980's I remember how difficult it was back then to bring over specialised staff from the subcontinent.

"With more restaurants open now and new tougher immigration laws, for those outside the EU, we are looking at a real curry crisis."

The SNP MSP for Glasgow claimed curry had been Scotland's favourite dish for a number of years and pointed out Indian restaurants and takeaways generated millions of pounds for the economy.

But he claimed: "All of this could be under threat if the industry's concerns are not acknowledged and action taken quickly by the Home Office."

Mr Ahmad said he had already raised the issue with First Minister Alex Salmond and added: "I have no doubt his government will work closely with restaurant owners and the Home Office to resolve this serious problem."