by Charles Kelly

07 August 2007

As part of action taken to fight the senior carers, crisis, we have suggested that overseas workers, employers and supporters should write and ask for the support of their Member of Parliament (MPs), but many of our readers have asked for suggestions on what to say.

Please use the attached template (or edit as you wish) to write to your Member of Parliament.

Please also sign the "Save Our Senior Carers" on-line petition to the Prime Minister - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SaveCarers/

If you have any comments or questions please email Charles Kelly

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk.

For all the latest immigration news see www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

You can find your MP by going to: http://www.parliament.uk.

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LETTER TO MP:

(Insert Date)

(Insert Name of MP)
Member of Parliament
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Dear MP (insert name of MP)

Senior Care Assistants ~ Work Permits

I am a member of your constituency who is concerned and affected by the recent decisions made by the Work Permits (UK) in the last few months refusing the renewal of work permits of many Senior Carers, many who have been here nearly 4 years.

The large numbers of refusals is quite alarming and some employers have been advising their employees that they are now unable to renew work permits for Senior Carers.

As many as 20,000 Senior Carers will then be "sacked" and deported from the UK, our crime, coming to work in the UK as legal workers.

Many of overseas migrant workers are working in Care Homes, Residential Homes and Nursing Homes right across the UK, this group of workers are caring for Elderly and other vulnerable people, with I might add with Respect, Dignity and delivering a Quality of Care that one self would expect as a Senior Citizens of the UK.

Now, myself like my fellow overseas migrant carers and family members we are living in fear of being deported, I came to this country in response to provide a service that many UK indigenous people did not want to enter the Health Caring Sector.

Many of the overseas migrants workers have brought their families into the UK in the dream of a new future, many have children in local schools, we have brought our own homes, we have not sought access to Public Funds, yet we pay Income Tax and National Insurance Contribution.

We have integrated well into the UK community; we have brought a quality of care to the Health Care Sector which is the envy of the world.

The recent changes in Immigration Rules that overseas worker are required to be in continual employment for 5 years instead of 4 years to qualify to apply for the right of indefinite leave to remain.

Many migrants entered the UK with a work permit of 4 years provided by their employers.

The Home Office is pre empting the implementation of the proposed roll out of the points based system which is still under consultation in the Home Office's June 2007 document on "Simplifying the Immigration Law Consultation" paper, making it difficult many work permit holders to qualify for renewal.

The decision from Work Permits UK to refuse renewal of work permits for senior carers could potentially affect at least 20,000 migrant workers over the next few years as work permits come up for renewal. Many of overseas migrant workers are in exploitative employment situation and refusing to renew their work permit will put them in even more vulnerable situation.

I would like to respectfully request that you take a lead in addressing these issues, I would hope you would represent the rights of many migrant workers and request that you contact and write to Mr Liam Byrne, Home Office Minister of State for Border & Immigration to stop the ongoing refusals and to review its decision to refuse renewal of work permits for this group of caring overseas migrant workers.

The continued refusal to renew work permits of this particular group of overseas migrant's workers unfairly discriminates against thousands of non EU migrant workers who where given the right to enter the UK legally and the right to take up lawful employment in the Health Care Sector. I, like my overseas migrant workers came to the UK for bright new future.

I would also point out that deporting thousands of migrant workers will put patients at risk (see www.immigrationmatters.co.uk).

Please help me and other migrant workers to remain and have our work permits renewed, I recognise that every country has the right to Manage Migration, however I'm here legally. Yes, manage migration but not at the expense of those migrant workers like myself already in the UK.

I am respectfully yours

Sign

[Place your Name here]

[Place your Home Address here. ]

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If you have any comments or questions please email Charles Kelly

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk.

For all the latest Home Office announcements see

www.immigrationmatters.co.uk