UK Immigration Policy may change

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

On Tuesday 11 May 2010 David Cameron leader of the Conservative Party became the new UK Prime Minister in a new Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Government. The Conservatives are the biggest Party in Parliament with 306 seats; However, they did not gain enough seats to achieve an overall majority on their own. After the General Election results of 7 May 2010 the Liberal Democrats seeing an opportunity to be part of a new Government started negotiations with the Conservatives and after a few days reached an agreement on forming a Coalition Government. Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats has become the Deputy Prime Minister with five of the top twenty Government Cabinet posts going to the Liberal Democrats.

The New Home Secretary Theresa May had the following to say about immigration policy:

[There will be] "...an annual limit on the number of economic migrants from outside the European Union...".

As well as the introduction of an immigration cap on economic migrants from outside the EU the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government will be making the following policy changes:

There will be an Emergency Budget within 50 days – The current UK budget deficit is about £160 billion (about US$230 Billion) which is considered to be far too high. The new Government intends to cut spending by £6 billion a year.

There will be a substantial rise in income tax allowances for lowest paid from April 2011. This will mean that many of the poorest paid workers will pay less tax. However, this will not help those who are currently not working.

There will be increased investment in education to reduce class sizes for children from poorer backgrounds.

There will be a referendum on the Alternative Vote system for general elections. The Liberal Democrats consider this as very important as the current system means that even with 23% of the vote the Liberal Democrats only has 57 MPs in Parliament.

There will be fixed-term Parliaments – The next election is in May 2015. This is of course assuming that the Government remains in power for that long.

In a highly controversial move 55% of MPs will need to vote for the dissolution of Parliament and to trigger an election. Members of Parliament have complained that this makes it too difficult for them as elected representatives to force a Government out of power.

National Health Service (NHS) spending is set to rise in every year of the new Parliament. Politically increasing funding of the State funded public health service is a popular move.

ID cards will be abolished for everyone including for immigrants to the UK. This will reduce the administrative burden on immigrants and others.

There will be a review the long term affordability of public sector pensions. Public sector pensions are very generous compared to pensions in the private sector. There are many who feel that with more and more people living into old age that it is simply not possible to fund such a generous pension scheme.

The link between the state pension and earnings will be restored from April 2011

The aviation passenger duty will be replaced by a plane tax. This is likely to cause further financial difficulties for airlines already hard hit by the disruption caused by the recent Volcanic Ash cloud and mean higher fares for passengers.

There will be no new runways at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. This is likely to mean a loss economically to the UK. There will be lower economic growth and fewer jobs than would otherwise be the case. This decision was taken because of concerns over the environment.

The Liberal Democrats had hoped to bring in a route for earned citizenship for illegal immigrants also known as an "immigration amnesty". This will no longer be happening. One Liberal Democrat policy that will be introduced is an end to detention of children at immigration detention centres. It is generally felt that the Liberal Democrats currently have a more positive view towards immigration than the Conservatives and the Labour Party. With the Liberal Democrats having a significant role in Government, immigration policy is likely to be more pro immigration than would otherwise be the case.

There has so far been no decision on exactly how many economic migrants will be allowed into the UK in the future. The Home Secretary has said that there will be a consultation process after which a decision will be made. The new immigration cap will likely have a significant impact on those who wish to come to the UK under the Tier 1 visa and Tier 2 visa schemes which are the main economic migrant visa categories.

The centre-left Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has in the past said that a limit would be an impracticable. With future improvements in the economy an immigration cap could very well lead to serious skills shortages in the UK.

Sarah Mulley, who wrote the IPPR report, The Limits to Limits, has commented that as a consequence of the cap Premiership football clubs could be prevented from bringing in top foreign players. British companies may be unable to bring in badly needed high level professionals from abroad.

The new Government cap on the number of economic immigrants allowed into the UK will in future make it more difficult to come under the Tier 1 and Tier 2 visa schemes. It seems that in future there will simply not be enough visas for the number of applicants. As already suggested in the past if you meet the requirements for the Tier 1 or Tier 2 visa you should consider applying now before the immigration cap is implemented.

UK Identity cards abolished for immigrants and others

The new UK Home Secretary Theresa May has announced that the identity card system will be abolished. Theresa May had the following to say:

"We will be scrapping ID cards but also introducing an annual cap on the number of migrants coming into the UK from outside the European union."

Thousands of migrants from outside the European Union, and British nationals living in the northwest had to apply for the identity card. The abolition of the identity card will reduce the administrative burden on applicants and those who have to administer the scheme.

The new Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government has said that there has been a "…substantial erosion…" of civil liberties in recent years. They have also promised other changes:

A reform of the DNA database.

Control of CCTV surveillance.

Amendments to the current libel laws.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats feel that the ID card system does not help to deal with terrorism and organised crime. They also say that it is expensive to administer and infringes on people "civil liberties. Under a "Freedom or Great Repeal Bill" the new Government wishes to also do the following:

Scrapping all future biometric passports and the Contact Point Database.

The Government wishes to "roll back" powers it says were taken by the state under the previous Government.

They have pledged to defend trial by jury,

They wish to restore rights to non-violent protest.

They intend to end the storage of internet and email records without good reason

They intend to introduce safeguards against the "misuse" of anti-terrorism legislation.

The UK Home Office says that they will provide details on how ID cards and the National Identity Register will be rescinded in future. In the meantime it should no longer be necessary for anyone to apply for an identity card.

New UK visa norms to help Indian professionals

Sunday, 9 May 2010

The recent changes announced by the UK government to the Tier-I and Tier-II—highly skilled and skilled migrant—visa categories will benefit some sections of professionals from India. “The points-based system, which is reviewed from time to time by the migration advisory committee, gives us the flexibility to revise the criterion to get people with the required skills into UK’s labour market,” Chris Dix, regional director , South Asia and the Gulf, UK Border Agency (UKBA), told ET.

The changes, which will become effective from April 6, will reintroduce the bachelors degree as a points-scoring criterion for Tier-I and will also allow people with no formal academic qualifications to apply under the category if they earn over £1,50,000 annually.

While both these steps will help increase the available skills pool under Tier-I , the differentiated points for sponsorship under the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) categories for Tier-II is being welcomed by most companies in India who need to transfer staff members to the UK.

Tier-II is being split into three sub-categoriesestablished staff with a minimum of 12 months experience in the company to fill posts that cannot be filled by a resident worker; graduate trainee for new graduates with a minimum of 3 months experience with the company to come to the UK for structured training for up to 12 months and skills transfer for new employees with no previous company experience who are coming to UK solel\y for reasons of skills transfer for a maximum stay of 6 months.

“India is a very important country for us for both Tier-I and Tier-II categories. The changes are aimed at scouting for the best available skills without adversely impacting the labour market in the UK. For the Tier-II changes, we had consulted with companies in UK and India as well, before making the decisions,” Mr Dix said. While Indians form the largest number of work permit holders under Tier-II globally , there were 5,200 Tier-I visas issued in India last year, up from 3,000 the previous year.

Meanwhile, the temporary suspension of Tier-IV student visa operations in North India has been partially lifted with applicants under foundation degree or above courses being allowed to put in their applications. Others applying from North India still need to go to Chennai or Mumbai centres to put in their papers. “We are working on streamlining the Tier-IV visas and will soon be introducing a highly trusted sponsor scheme for institutions in UK. We are also putting in place a new English language testing scheme for student visa applicants,” Mr Dix said. Around 57,000 student visas were issued for UK from India last year.

UK politicians in power pact talks

Saturday, 8 May 2010

Khaleej Times 
The centre-right Conservative Party won most parliamentary seats but they need the support of other parties to form a stable government that can tackle the record budget deficit.

A deal with the much smaller centrist Liberal Democrats would achieve that and also give the Lib Dems their first role in government for decades.

Leader Nick Clegg must overcome scepticism among a significant number of his party, who fear that Britain’s third largest party would be forced to sacrifice too many cherished policies for a deal.

Financial markets, already rattled by a debt crisis in Greece, want a new government to be formed quickly so it can set about reducing the deficit swiftly and decisively.

The pound, gilts and stock market all fell on Friday when it became clear the Conservatives would not have a parliamentary majority, despite beating the incumbent Labour Party soundly.

Conservative leader David Cameron appealed to the Liberal Democrats on Friday, saying he would consider some kind of formal agreement with them.

This could include a coalition, a rarity in Britain, but is more likely to involve a pact whereby the Lib Dems agree to support a Conservative-led minority government implementing an agreed legislative programme in return for concessions.

Senior members of both parties met on Friday night and further talks are expected over the next few days.

Deficit Discussions

The most important hurdle is agreement on the pace of lowering the budget deficit. The Conservatives have pledged to start cutting it immediately but the Lib Dems warn this could harm Britain’s recovery from a deep recession in 2008-2009.

Electoral reform, along with immigration, Britain’s role in the European Union and defence, are also likely to be stumbling blocks. The Lib Dems have long pushed for a change to the first-past-the-post voting system in favour of proportional representation.

Clegg has to persuade Lib Dem members of parliament it is worth making concessions, even though many party members are sceptical.

“I will never consider voting for the Lib Dems again if a Conservative/Lim Dem pact is the outcome of this election!” one supporter said on Liberal Democrat Voice, a web site for party activists.

Former Labour Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said on Saturday the Conservatives, or Tories as they are also known, would not be able to offer proportional representation.

“We have introduced it in the Scotland and Wales regional governments so it seems to be on the horizon. But the Tories won’t do it. We may,” Prescott told Reuters on the sidelines of an environment conference in Beijing. “The best possibility for proportional representation is with the Labour Party.”

If the Lib Dem/Conservative talks fail, a deal between Clegg’s party and Labour was possible, but morecomplicated as the two parties combined would not have enough MPs to form a majority in the 650-seat House of Commons.

A Lib Dem-Labour deal would therefore have to involve other parties such as nationalist groups like Wales’s Plaid Cymru and the Scottish Nationalist Party.

Labour leader Gordon Brown has said the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had the right to try to form a government first even though he is allowed as sitting Prime Minister to have the first try under Britain’s constitution.

His party has pledged to hold a referendum on electoral reform

First hung parliament in Britain since 1974

Friday, 7 May 2010

London: Britain’s opposition Conservatives won the most seats in parliament on Friday but failed to gain an overall majority, creating uncertainty over who will lead a country facing huge economic problems.

British asset prices crumbled as the prospect of the first inconclusive election result since 1974 unnerved investors already spooked by a global equity market sell-off. With results in 615 constituencies declared, the Conservatives were on 290 and could not get to the figure of 326 needed for an outright majority in parliament.

Conservative leader David Cameron said the ruling Labour party had “lost its mandate to govern”. However, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has the right under the constitution to try to form a government first, potentially opening the door to a period of political horse-trading.

Senior Labour minister Peter Mandelson said he did not expect Brown to resign on Friday. He said he was ruling nothing in or out, and he and others in the party appeared to be wooing the centrist Liberal Democrats. “I don’t think it would help matters if he [Brown] were suddenly to step aside,” Mandelson said.

However, Labour, in power since 1997, could struggle to form a coalition with the Lib Dems since their combined forecast seats would still be short of an overall majority. The Conservatives could seek a pact with smaller parties from Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales to boost their support.

The prospect of a "hung parliament" rocked already febrile financial markets. The pound tumbled, Britain's top share index extended this week's rout and gilt futures went into reverse as the inconclusive election outcome unnerved investors jittery about Europe's mounting debt crisis. "The net result is masses of uncertainty. The new government is likely to be weak at best," said Alan Clarke of BNP Paribas. "Even in the case of a coalition, the partners will be constantly looking over their shoulders, and compromise politics will mean that the scope for delivering radical or unpopular fiscal tightening is limited."

Clarke said there was now a growing threat of a credit ratings downgrade for Britain, where the deficit is running at more than 11 percent of national output. "Ahead of the election we saw the risk of downgrade at close to 50 percent. On the basis of the election outcome as it looks now, a downgrade looks to be the most likely outcome," he said.

The focus switches on Friday to possible talks between the parties to break the deadlock. They will be assisted by civil servants who have prepared briefing documents outlining key elements of party proposals and their costs. Britain does not have the same tradition of coalition building as its neighbours in continental Europe, and few Britons can remember the last inconclusive election almost four decades ago.

The sense of confusion was heightened by reports that hundreds of voters had been turned away from crowded polling stations across the country when voting ended at 2100 GMT. The centre-right Conservatives were forecast to win around 305 seats and Labour 255 in the lower House of Commons. The Lib Dems were a distant third, with an expected 61.

The BBC calculated that the Conservatives had taken 36 percent of the vote, Labour 29 percent and the Lib Dems 23 percent. Notable losses for Labour included former cabinet ministers Charles Clarke and Jacqui Smith. Northern Ireland's first minister, Peter Robinson, of the Democratic Unionist Party, was the highest-profile casualty of the night. Gainers included the Greens, who won their first ever parliamentary seat. 

Independent think-tanks have accused all the parties of failing to be open with voters about the scale of cuts that will be needed to restore public finances, meaning any government could face a rapid plunge in popularity once cuts begin.

 

Decision day for Britain

Thursday, 6 May 2010

• Voters leave a polling station in West Belfast, Northern Ireland, Thursda
• Image Credit: AP

London: With the prospects of a hung parliament looming, the leaders of the three main parties no doubt lost sleep before the last full day of campaigning in the run-up to voting today.

Conservative leader David Cameron campaigned through the night and Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an early visit yesterday morning to market workers in northern England.

The leaders made a final push for votes, as two polls pointed to an inconclusive result.

One poll indicated that Labour could still win the greatest number of seats.

A YouGov poll for the Sun suggested the centre-right Conservatives' support was unchanged on 35 per cent, while centre-left Labour rose to 30 per cent.

The Liberal Democrats, who had enjoyed a strong rise in recent weeks, fell four points to 24 per cent.

A ComRes poll for the Independent newspaper put support for the parties unchanged, with the Conservatives eight points ahead of Labour, making Cameron's party the largest in a 650-seat parliament, but denying him outright control.

Both polls suggest a hung parliament, in which the centrist Liberal Democrats could hold the balance of power.

Britain has not had an inconclusive election result of this kind since 1974 and is not used to the kind of coalition-building familiar to many European countries.

But for some voters a coalition government is favourable. John Holmes, age 100, said from his home in Conservative-held Wimbledon, South London, it "would be a good thing if they [the three main parties] could find something to agree about".

Economic woes

Two mass-circulation newspapers said a hung parliament would make it harder to solve Britain's economic woes, backing the Conservatives for their commitment to cut the deficit faster than Labour would.

The economic situation was highlighted under the shadow of Westminster yesterday, when hundreds of students marched with raised banners and shouted anti-Labour chants in protest at the government cuts in higher education.

Joined by their lecturers, the students shouted out that the economic crisis was not theirs to handle or to suffer from.

There are four likely outcomes for the election. The Conservatives could win an absolute majority (least likely); the Conservatives could form a minority government — more seats and votes than Labour but not a majority; the Conservatives could make a deal with the Liberal Democrats in case of a hung parliament; or Labour could win with Liberal Democrat backing.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said he would consider negotiating with Labour, but only if Brown steps down.

— With inputs from agencies

India upset with UK visa decision, talks likely soon

Tuesday, 4 May 2010

India is upset with the British decision to suspend accepting the student visa applications in three north Indian centres as it affects the “bona fide” students. The issue is likely to be taken up with British High Commission, soon.

The UK had officially conveyed to India that it had resorted to the suspension of accepting visa applications after detecting education agents misusing the system for sending wrong candidates. They also complained that some students, who applied for visas, came from below par educational institutions.

“We feel that what we were given to understand is not enough reasons to take such steps that puts the bona fide, genuine students in trouble. The cooperation in the area of education is one of the most enduring aspects of the ties between the two nations,” a government official said on the conditions of anonymity.

The UK is the second most favourite destination for Indian students after the US.

The UK temporarily suspended accepting visa application from New Delhi, Jalandhar and Chandigarh, from February 1.