It was a cheaper pay and they were small enough to use in cramped spaces, their fingers were thinner and smaller and more useful without having to pay too much money for their work.
They were dealing with the after effects of the Cold War
So, this is an odd question (unless you live in the UK).
I am an American, and impressment was largely used against American sailors by the British.
Impressment was the policy of capturing a ship and forcing the sailors to work for you. The British were the masters of it and it was super embarrassing for the American Navy.
The US made the British swear to stop in a treaty but it was a major cause of tensions leading up to the War of 1812.
