371,000 migrants on benefits according to Government estimates. The UK Government has published its first ever estimates for the proportion of foreign-born people who are claiming working-age benefits in the UK.

Judge attacks immigration ‘merry-go-round’ after Pakistani man made 16 applications to remain in UK at a cost of £250,000 to taxpayer

A senior judge this week condemned the immigration ‘merry-go-round’ that allowed an asylum seeker to stay in Britain for a decade. The Pakistani national was allowed to make a staggering 16 appeals or new applications despite being rejected at every turn, at an estimated cost to taxpayers of at least £250,000.

Immigration critic calls Canada “Super Visa” a sham

There has been much discussion about the Canadian Conservative government’s new “Super Visa” in the community recently, but unfortunately it has turned out to be an insult to families desperate for their parents to visit or migrate to Canada.

Bulgarian and Romanian applications – UKBA issue new application form and guidance

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has published revised guidance notes for Bulgarian and Romanian accession worker card applicants and employers, and a new version of Form BR3.

Pop star Adam Ant raided at dawn over ‘illegal immigrant’

1980’s pop legend Adam Ant was awoken by immigration border police yesterday when his London home was raided at dawn

Rapper Garry Sandhu deported to India after losing immigration appeal

Asian singing star Garry Sandhu has been deported back to India by the UK Border Agency after losing an appeal…

London to become major player in Yuan trading

The UK Treasury has announced plans to make London the leading international centre for trading China’s currency, the Yuan, also known as the Renminbi.

New procedure announced for Arts Council England endorsement under Tier 1 Exceptional talent applications

The UK Border Agency has announced that from this month applicants under Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) of the points-based system must follow a new procedure if they want Arts Council England (ACE) to endorse their application.

7 tips for completing a Yellow Card BR1 application to work and study in the UK

With Yellow Card student applications for Bulgarians and Romanians taking 3 to 6 months to process, getting it right first time is vital. Bulgarians and Romanians exercising treaty rights as students under Yellow Card registration certificates are reporting that their applications are taking between three and six months to be processed and approved by the UK Border Agency Full story…

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Majestic College offer special packages for EU students. They also have a number of employers looking for staff right now and are willing to employ Bulgarians and Romanians.

For more information call Joanna on 0208 207 1020 or email info@majesticcollege.org

It found that 371,000 migrants made claims last year, the vast majority of which were legitimate.

The research suggests workers born abroad may be less likely to claim benefits than UK nationals.

A sampling exercise found 2% may not have rights to benefits – but the government could not say for certain.

Before the coalition government came to power the nationality of benefit claimants was not recorded.

The government has now tried to link records on benefits, border control and tax for those who came to work, study or visit.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) research found:

As of February 2011, there were 5.5m people receiving working-age benefits. Some 371,000 of those were foreign nationals when they first came to the UK, representing 6.4% of the claimants.

Almost 17% of all British nationals receive these benefits compared with almost 7% of all those classed as non-UK nationals when they first arrived in the UK.

More than half of those receiving a benefit had in fact at some point become British citizens, meaning they had the same rights as people born British.

Working-age benefits include income support, job seeker’s allowance, carer’s allowance and disability living allowance.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling denied that the report was scaremongering and said the full picture was not clear. He said the study showed the vast majority of foreign-born nationals who claimed benefits were entitled to them.

“I think it’s really important for the credibility of our benefits system… that we should understand the mix of people who come from other countries who are claiming benefits,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“We are now going to go through all the people who we’ve not being able to identify and we’re going to repeat that exercise across the full 250,000 to have a system in which people can have confidence.”

The employment minister said he wanted to reduce net migration and ensure the UK system did not attract “benefit tourists”.

But Scott Blinder of Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, an expert study group, said: “It’s perfectly reasonable for the government to want to understand the interaction between immigration and the benefits system, but the way this has been reported has been problematic and significantly misleading for two reasons.

“Firstly, it has been publicised in manner that has created the impression that migrants are particularly likely to claim benefits, when even the report itself clearly identifies that migrants are substantially less likely to claim benefits that the UK-born population.

“Secondly, the report lumps together all ‘migrants’ including British citizens who were born abroad – and who clearly have the same rights to benefits as all other British citizens – and migrants who have no legal claim to be in the UK at all.”

Benefit rules are complex but in general foreign-born nationals in the UK must pass various tests to show they are eligible to claim working-age benefits.

A follow-up sample by the DWP looked at 9,000 people who had come to the UK from outside of Europe. In a quarter of cases, it did not have enough information to assess whether claims were legitimate. Of those that remained, 98% were found to be valid.

The remaining 2% of claimants – 125 people – appeared to have no right to claim benefits. The DWP said it would need to investigate further because some of these could have made valid claims before later losing their entitlement to the benefit.

The government does not produce comparable figures for British-born benefit fraudsters – but estimates that 2% of all payments are down to fraud or error.

The opposition Labour party launched a furious attack on ‘nasty’ Conservative ministers for publishing statistics.

Shadow Immigration Minister Chris Bryant told the BBC Mr Grayling’s figures were not helpful.

“More than half the people that he’s talking about are British citizens – we have no idea when they came to this country,” he said.

“These could be people who came in the late 1930s or 1940s as children, then got British citizenship, worked all their lives, paid National Insurance, paid tax and are now in receipt of benefits.”

He added: “What the figures do show is that migrants into this country are more likely to be in work than British people. 6.6 per cent of working-age non-UK nationals were claiming benefits, compared with 16.6 per cent of  working-age UK nationals.”

He suggested the real intention was to “divert attention” from the fact the government was struggling to meet its pledge to cut net migration to below 100,000 by the end of this Parliament.

MigrationWatch UK, which campaigns for tougher controls on immigration, said the evidence was unclear but something was “clearly not right”.

Chairman Sir Andrew Green told Today: “I’m very glad that ministers now responsible are saying in turns that the immigration system is in a serious mess.”

He said the sheer scale of immigration put “huge pressure” on public services and there had been no link until now between the immigration and benefit systems. Source: BBC

Last week ago anti-immigration groups were complaining that migrants were taking too many jobs away from British workers. Now they are implying that migrants are all on benefits.

A recent Office for National Statistics report looked at trends in Eastern European migration and it said that just over 300,000 workers arrived in the UK during the recession. It said there was a “growing body of evidence” that A8 workers were taking jobs that local employers find hard to fill with domestic workers.

The Home Office said it was working to reduce net migration.

“Controlled migration can bring benefits to the UK economy, but uncontrolled immigration can put pressure on public services, infrastructure and community relations,” a spokesman said.

“That is why we are ensuring graduates and the workforce get the opportunities and skills they need so that they can find work, and why we have maintained restrictions on workers from Romania and Bulgaria, and made it clear we will always introduce transitional controls on new European Union member states to stop unregulated access to British jobs.”

Even though they are EU members, when it comes to employment Bulgarian and Romanian citizens do not have the same rights as other Europeans, for instance from Poland, Slovakia or other A8 Accession countries. See: Free Movement of EU nationals explained.

Bulgarians and Romanians coming to the UK on Yellow Card registration permits can work and study full time on vocational courses such as NVQ or QCF courses in Health and Social Care.  

See also:

7 tips for completing a Yellow Card BR1 application to work and study in the UK

Immigration Rules for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals 

Bulgarian and Romanian applications – UKBA issue new application form and guidance

British youth unemployment link to immigration rise pressure group claims

HOW TO FIND APPLICATION FORMS FOR A ‘YELLOW’ OR ‘BLUE’ CARD REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE ON THE UK BORDER AGENCY WEBSITE

Free Movement of EU nationals explained

Health care workers needed in UK now

Employment restrictions for Bulgarians and Romanians extended until end of 2013

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Majestic College offer special packages for EU students. They also have a number of employers looking for staff right now and are willing to employ Bulgarians and Romanians.

For more information call Joanna on 0208 207 1020 or email info@majesticcollege.org

On 19 December 2011 the UK government’s Ministry of Justice brought in new charges for some asylum, immigration and visa appeals and introduced new procedures for submitting appeals against refusals. Fees of £80 for a ‘paper consideration’, a decision made by an Immigration Judge on papers without a hearing, and £140 for a full oral hearing at a tribunal will be applied to appeals against decisions taken on or after 19 December 2011.

East London sham marriage couple jailed

A London ‘couple’ who flew in European brides as part of an immigration scam enabling Bangladeshi men obtain indefinite leave to remain in the UK illegally have been jailed for a total of 6 years, the UK Border Agency has confirmed.

Important UK Border Agency update for Tier 4 sponsors – educational oversight and other changes

The UK Border Agency has made the following announcement aimed at Tier 4 sponsors.

UKBA announce technical problems with online appointment booking service

The UK Border Agency has announced that there are still technical problems with the online booking service.

British unemployment not caused by immigration new study reveals

Following this week’s claim by Migrationwatch UK, a study by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research published by the Independent strongly refutes claim that foreign nationals are depriving British-born workers of jobs.

British youth unemployment link to immigration rise pressure group claims

There is ‘probably’ a link between rising youth unemployment in Britain and an increase in migration from eastern Europe, a report from an anti-immigration pressure group claims today.

Asylum family win compensation for being detained after eight years with a little help from Colin Firth and Harry Potter author JK Rowling

A Kurdish family of asylum seekers has won a six-figure out of court payout from the Home Office after being held in detention for more than a year when they were children, The Telegraph reports. In another high profile case in Scotland last year, former X Factor contestant Gamu Nhengu and her family won their immigration appeal and right to remain in the UK after a public campaign with the backing of Simon Cowell despite breaking immigration rules.

7 tips for completing a Yellow Card BR1 application to work and study in the UK

With Yellow Card student applications for Bulgarians and Romanians taking 3 to 6 months to process, getting it right first time is vital. Bulgarians and Romanians exercising treaty rights as students under Yellow Card registration certificates are reporting that their applications are taking between three and six months to be processed and approved by the UK Border Agency Full story…

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Majestic College offer special packages for EU students. They also have a number of employers looking for staff right now and are willing to employ Bulgarians and Romanians.

For more information call Joanna on 0208 207 1020 or email info@majesticcollege.org

There is no link between rising immigration and rising unemployment, independent economists have found – contradicting persistent claims from anti-immigration activists and politicians that an influx of foreign nationals into the UK in recent years has led to more British-born workers on the dole.

The respected National Institute of Economic and Social Research found that there was “no association” between higher immigration and joblessness – even at times of recession or low growth of the sort that Britain is experiencing at the moment.

In fact, the Institute’s researchers suggested that the opposite might be the case and that immigration acts as an economic stimulus, pushing total employment levels higher and dole claimant numbers lower than they would otherwise have been.

“Perhaps surprisingly,” their economists said, “the interaction between migrant inflows and GDP emerges as positive, indicating that during periods of lower growth, migrant inflows are associated with … slower [dole] claimant growth than would otherwise have occurred.” The researchers did concede that the stimulating effects of migration on the overall labour market at a time of recession are likely to be small.

The anti-immigration pressure group MigrationWatch claimed yesterday that rising immigration from Eastern and Central Europe since European Union enlargement in 2004 had contributed to a surge in youth unemployment in Britain, which is now above 1 million. MigrationWatch released its own report, saying: “Youth unemployment in the UK increased by almost 450,000 in the period from 2004 Q1 to 2011 Q3. Over the same period, numbers of workers from the A8 countries grew by 600,000.

“Correlation is not, of course, proof of causation but, given the positive employability characteristics and relative youth of migrants from these countries, it is implausible and counter-intuitive to conclude … that A8 migration has had virtually no impact on UK youth unemployment.”

However, critics of MigrationWatch pointed out that youth unemployment started rising before 2004, the point when Polish and other former Soviet bloc nationals were freely permitted to enter the UK to work.

And Jonathan Portes, the director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research and former chief economist at the Cabinet Office, also argues today that most of the rise in youth unemployment took place in 2008 and 2009, a period during which the number of Eastern European workers entering Britain to seek employment dipped. Government ministers have implied a link between immigration and joblessness. “Controlling immigration is critical or we will risk losing another generation to dependency and hopelessness,” said Iain Duncan Smith, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in a speech last July.

The Coalition has imposed a cap on immigration from outside the European Union and has pledged to reduce net migration to “the tens of thousands” a year by the end of this parliament in 2015.

The Office for Budget Responsibility, however, has cast doubt on whether the Government will succeed in meeting this goal, with the Coalition’s fiscal watchdog estimating that average annual migration until 2016 will be 140,000.

Net migration hit a record high of 252,000 in 2010, although this was mainly due to a sharp fall in the number of Britons leaving the country rather than an increase in immigration.

To analyse the impact of migration on the labour market, the Institute’s researchers compared the overseas nationals who were allocated national insurance numbers in an area with the number of people claiming the dole locally.

Case studies: immigrant success stories

“I came with nothing. Now I employ four people” – Datsa Gaile, 39, Northampton

In seven years I have gone from living in a single room, scouring the country for a job – to editing my own newspaper and employing people. When I came to live in the UK in 2006, a friend and I arranged accommodation and work with an agency in Latvia. But when we arrived in London there was nothing. We thought we would have to stay on the streets. I realised I had to do things for myself. I made a CV and got a job. Then I brought my children to the UK. In 2009 I began studying for a BA in business studies at Northampton. At university, I began a paper for the Latvian community. We print 10,000 copies per month.

“I don’t believe I’m taking someone else’s job” – Agata Wasziewicz-Schmidt Dos Santos, 29, interpreter, Newquay

My husband and I came here in 2008 from Poland. First I worked at Starbucks because I couldn’t get work in languages, even though I speak Polish, Portuguese and English. As soon as I changed my email address to a less foreign name, I started getting invited to interviews. I don’t believe I’m taking someone else’s job, because there aren’t many people who speak Polish and Portuguese. I give back to the community, by working in schools and hospitals. My husband owns a martial arts business. He trains other instructors – one of them is an unemployed Brit. Source: The Independent, London.

Immigration Matters could add hundreds of similar success stories of migrants who have made it in the UK ‘against the odds’.

In our experience, employers do not go out of their way to deliberately employ foreign workers instead of Brits. In fact it is normally the exact opposite. Their lives are made far easier if they can find a local person with no visa, work permit or yellow card issues.

In the majority if cases overseas staff are only employed as a last resort because they cannot find British workers to do the job.

Work permits were issued for ‘shortage occupations’ or under ‘labour market test’ whereby the employer had to prove that the post could not be filled by a resident worker. In other words, these rules ensured that no British worker was being deprived from taking the job.

EU citizens from Eastern European countries have free movement treaty rights to live and work anywhere within the EU, although there are certain employment restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians which have been extended until the end of 2013 by the UK government.

It should not be forgotten that in times of economic troubles right wing groups have sought to lay the blame on immigrants.

In the 1930’s this led to catastrophic consequences for Jewish people living in Nazi Germany.

In the 1970’s Idi Amin expelled thousands of people of Indian decent from Uganda. Many of those who came to Britain thrived in this country whilst Uganda fell apart and eventually collapsed.

See also:

British youth unemployment link to immigration rise pressure group claims

7 tips for completing a Yellow Card BR1 application to work and study in the UK

Immigration Rules for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals

HOW TO FIND APPLICATION FORMS FOR A ‘YELLOW’ OR ‘BLUE’ CARD REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE ON THE UK BORDER AGENCY WEBSITE

Free Movement of EU nationals explained

Health care workers needed in UK now

Employment restrictions for Bulgarians and Romanians extended until end of 2013

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Majestic College offer special packages for EU students. They also have a number of employers looking for staff right now and are willing to employ Bulgarians and Romanians.

For more information call Joanna on 0208 207 1020 or email info@majesticcollege.org

Migrationwatch UK says in the third quarter of last year there were 600,000 more workers in the UK from eight former Soviet bloc countries than in 2004, when they joined the EU.

Over the same period, UK youth unemployment rose by almost 450,000.

The Institute for Public Policy Research says the study is “flawed”.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, youth unemployment in the UK increased from 575,000 in the first quarter of 2004 to 1,016,000 in the third quarter of 2011.

Over the same period, the number of workers from the A8 countries which joined the EU in 2004 – Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – grew by 600,000.

Migrationwatch UK, which campaigns for tighter immigration controls, said it would be “a very remarkable coincidence if there was no link at all” between the figures.

Immigrant demographic

Sir Andrew Green, Migrationwatch UK chairman, said: “Correlation is not, of course, proof of causation but, given the positive employability characteristics and relative youth of migrants from these countries, it is implausible and counter-intuitive to conclude – as the previous government and some economists have done – that A8 migration has had virtually no impact on UK youth unemployment in this period.

“We hear a great deal from employers about the value of immigrant labour, especially from Eastern Europe, but there are also costs some of which have undoubtedly fallen on young British born workers.”

Migrants from the A8 countries “have tended to be disproportionately young, well-educated, prepared to work for low wages and imbued with a strong work ethic”, Sir Andrew said.

Matt Cavanagh, associate director at the left-leaning IPPR think tank, said the report was “just conjecture, disingenuously presented as research”.

According to the IPPR, youth unemployment began rising before the influx of workers from Eastern Europe.

“To try to make our youth unemployment problem look like it is only or mainly an immigration problem – as this report does, by selective use of dates, and a methodologically bogus juxtaposition of aggregate A8 migration with aggregate rise in unemployment – is a profound mistake, and an irresponsible one at that,” Mr Cavanagh said.

He added: “There are a number of established statistical methods for testing the robustness of any apparent correlation – but this report doesn’t even bother to try.”

Restrictions maintained

A recent Office for National Statistics report looked at trends in Eastern European migration and it said that just over 300,000 workers arrived in the UK during the recession. It said there was a “growing body of evidence” that A8 workers were taking jobs that local employers find hard to fill with domestic workers.

“It is not only an issue of migrants accepting the dirty, difficult and dangerous jobs that the UK labour force shuns, but also a matter of the very positive work ethic amongst A8 workers,” said the report.

Danny Sriskandarajah, director of the Royal Commonwealth Society educational charity said Migrationwatch UK had not shown any evidence of a causal relationship between immigration and youth unemployment.

“It’s great that Migrationwatch acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of recent immigrants are hardworking but a pity that they choose to scapegoat them for the woes caused by the economic downturn,” he said.

The Home Office said it was working to reduce net migration.

“Controlled migration can bring benefits to the UK economy, but uncontrolled immigration can put pressure on public services, infrastructure and community relations,” a spokesman said.

“That is why we are ensuring graduates and the workforce get the opportunities and skills they need so that they can find work, and why we have maintained restrictions on workers from Romania and Bulgaria, and made it clear we will always introduce transitional controls on new European Union member states to stop unregulated access to British jobs.” Source: BBC

Migrationwatch UK do not explain what they suggest the UK Government do about EU treaties signed by their predecessors. Short of pulling out of the EU there is little Britain can do about EU immigration, which is why non-EU immigration and student visas are being cut back.

Although the public will largely support the government’s moves to restrict non-EU and Bulgarian and Romanian immigration, certain sectors are still struggling to find staff.

Care homes are facing a staffing crisis following a government clampdown on non-EU immigration and changes to Tier 2 work visa rules.

Employers looking for staff, like those in the care industry, are increasingly turning to EU member workers from Eastern Europe – because they cannot find local workers willing to do the job.

However, not all EU members have the same rights to work in the UK and getting it wrong could result in a hefty fine for the employer.

Employers are often unaware of the distinct difference between ‘A8’ nationals (Polish, Latvian, Slovakian, Czechs, Hungarians, Slovenians Lithuanians and Estonians), who joined the EU in 2004 and more recent members from Bulgaria and Romania. Although both groups have the same rights to freely enter the UK, they do not enjoy the same rights to work, or free movement of labour.

Even though they are EU members, when it comes to employment Bulgarian and Romanian citizens do not have the same rights as other Europeans, for instance from Poland, Slovakia or other A8 Accession countries. See: Free Movement of EU nationals explained.

Bulgarians and Romanians coming to the UK on Yellow Card registration permits can work and study full time on vocational courses such as NVQ or QCF courses in Health and Social Care.  

See also:

7 tips for completing a Yellow Card BR1 application to work and study in the UK

Immigration Rules for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals

HOW TO FIND APPLICATION FORMS FOR A ‘YELLOW’ OR ‘BLUE’ CARD REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE ON THE UK BORDER AGENCY WEBSITE

Free Movement of EU nationals explained

Health care workers needed in UK now

Employment restrictions for Bulgarians and Romanians extended until end of 2013

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: 

info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Majestic College offer special packages for EU students. They also have a number of employers looking for staff right now and are willing to employ Bulgarians and Romanians.

For more information call Joanna on 0208 207 1020 or email info@majesticcollege.org

A promising young football player for premier league team Aston Villa could be forced to remain at home while his team-mates jet abroad for a top European game – because he will almost certainly not be allowed back into Britain.

7 tips for completing a Yellow Card BR1 application to work and study in the UK

With Yellow Card student applications for Bulgarians and Romanians taking 3 to 6 months to process, getting it right first time is vital. Bulgarians and Romanians exercising treaty rights as students under Yellow Card registration certificates are reporting that their applications are taking between three and six months to be processed and approved by the UK Border Agency Full story…

Member of Parliament Diane Abbott in hot water over Twitter race comments

MP and Shadow Health Minister Diane Abbott has apologised for any offence caused by comments she made on Twitter, after claims they were racist, the BBC report.

Immigration will fall but due to UK economic downturn thinktank claims

In a different slant on the continuing speculation over net migration figures, the Guardian reports that thinktank IPPR claims government is still unlikely to fulfil pledge of cutting net immigration to ‘tens of thousands’, but it will fall anyway partly due to the economic conditions.

Immigration to UK will fall sharply this year says ippr

Immigration to Britain will fall sharply this year, a think-tank said this week – but will fall short of the Prime Minister’s target, the Daily Mail reports.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) claimed that net migration – the difference between the number of people arriving in the UK, and those leaving – would be [...]

Student wins article 8 human rights appeal after claiming he played cricket with friends

Bangladeshi student wins Article 8 ‘private life’ appeal in Upper Tribunal to remain in the UK. Thousands of foreign students could win the right to settle in Britain once their courses have finished, following a landmark appeal ruling by judges…

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

Majestic College offer special packages for EU students. They also have a number of employers looking for staff right now and are willing to employ Bulgarians and Romanians.

For more information call Joanna on 0208 207 1020 or email info@majesticcollege.org

Immigration to the UK is expected to fall by tens of thousands this year with the reduction due largely to economic factors, says a report published on Sunday.

Projections by the Institute for Public Policy Research, an independent thinktank, suggest that hard economic times in Britain will lead to a reduction in EU and non-EU migrants to 180,000 from around 220,000 in 2011.

However, the forecast drop, based on figures from the Home Office and Office for National Statistics along with IPPR analysis of the economic outlook and effects of government policy, is still significantly short of the coalition’s election pledge to reduce net immigration to “tens of thousands”.

The continuing financial crisis, allied to the government’s attempts to reduce migrant numbers coming into Britain, is calculated to prompt a fall in non-EU immigration of about 10%. Similarly, numbers of EU migrants are predicted to dwindle due to the continuing economic downturn.

The analysis gives a critical assessment of the government’s approach, claiming its strategy is likely to harm any prospect of economic recovery, while its flagship policy – the cap on the number of skilled migrants outside the EU allowed into the UK – has had no impact. IPPR economists say the sluggish global economy has meant that the imposed cap of 21,700 has been irrelevant because British businesses are hiring fewer people.

Skilled job applicants are seeking jobs overseas in other countries such as Australia or Canada, where permanent settlement and naturalisation are more easily available, instead of the UK.

“It is slightly odd to see a government making a virtue of their flagship policy not actually having had any effect,” cites the report. “The more serious conclusion is that the experience of the cap so far should not be seen as a vindication of the policy.”

With regard to illegal immigration, the IPPR concludes that the “coalition has failed to make any headway”. The thinktank accuses the government of massaging figures that purport to show that the number of illegal migrants being removed from the UK is growing.

“Beyond this, the government’s new policies amount to little more than a somewhat gimmicky, and arguably rather unpleasant, ’shop-an-illegal’ helpline,” says the report.

However, by failing to come close to reaching its stated election promise on reducing immigration, the IPPR warns that the government will only inflame people’s disquiet over the issue. “By promising what it cannot deliver, the government, far from achieving its aim of taking the heat out of this emotive issue, will instead feed the public’s sense of disillusionment,” it warns.

One toxic issue is the predicted fall in the number of foreign prisoners deported from the UK. Despite forecasting inevitable media furore over the figures, along with the “generally disappointing performance on removing irregular migrants and refused asylum-seekers”, the IPPR says such initiatives will be hampered by UK Border Agency spending cuts. Asylum numbers, it predicts, will hover around the 20,000 mark of recent years.

Immigration policies identified as having a detrimental effect on the economy include attempts to reduce foreign student numbers dramatically, in particular by removing the option for them to stay in the UK and work after graduation.

Another policy likely to hamper economic recovery are recommendations to raise the income threshold of those allowed to stay permanently in the UK to between £31,000 and £49,000. Even the organisation that made the recommendations, the Migration Advisory Committee, admits they might “have a negative impact on GDP” and might dissuade gifted migrants from contemplating living in Britain. The IPPR warns that the “brightest and best” might simply opt to work elsewhere.

Ministers, however, remain convinced that government policies are working, saying the report’s forecasts are “consistent with hitting our target of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands by the end of this parliament”.

The immigration minister, Damian Green, said: “The latest quarterly figures show that student visas issued are down 13% and the main work visas issued are down 18% compared to last year – an early sign that our policies are starting to take effect.” Source: The Guardian.

There is little the government can do to curb EU immigration, however in December the Home Office extended employment restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians for two more years until the end of 2013. In July the UK Border Agency added new requirements – e.g. Comprehensive Sickness Insurance cover – to the ‘Yellow Card’ registration process.

See also:

Immigration to UK will fall sharply this year says ippr 

A turbulent 2011 saw far reaching changes to UK Immigration Rules and a decline in the numbers of non-EU migrants and students

Fees to be charged for appeals against immigration and asylum refusals from 19 December 2011

Post Study Work Visa to be abolished April 2012 as part of student visa clampdown

New Tier 4 student visa rules now in force

More immigrants needed to boost British economy

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

The Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) claimed that net migration – the difference between the number of people arriving in the UK, and those leaving – would be cut from a record 252,000 in 2010 to 180,000.

But the figure falls short of David Cameron’s commitment to reduce net migration to the ‘tens of thousands’ during the lifetime of the current Parliament, it said.

The IPPR, considered New Labour’s favourite think-tank, claimed the best hope of fulfilling the pledge was for an economic downturn to make the country less attractive to migrants and drive away EU migrants already here.

Its report predicted that the number of migrants coming to the UK from outside the EU would fall by about 10 per cent in 2012, fuelled by  new restrictions on foreign students and worsening economic conditions.

But the IPPR said further curbs on skilled migrants coming to the UK were unlikely to reduce overall numbers by more than 10,000.

More restrictions on family migration were also likely to have little immediate effect as they are expected to be held up by legal challenges.

Matt Cavanagh of the IPPR said: ‘While policy changes will start to achieve significant reductions in immigration from outside the EU, this will not be enough to put the Government on track to hit its target.’

But Immigration Minister Damian Green insisted the Government’s aspirations could still be achieved.

‘The IPPR’s predicted reduction in net migration of 70,000 by the end of 2012 is consistent with hitting our target of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands by the end of this Parliament,’ he said.

‘We’ve limited non-EU workers coming to the UK, overhauled the student visa system and will shortly announce reforms of the family migration and settlement routes.’

Mr Green added: ‘The latest quarterly figures show that student visas issued are down 13 per cent and the main work visas issued are down 18 per cent compared with last year – an early sign that our policies are starting to take effect.’ Source: Daily Mail

The government’s tough measures on immigration have already started to bite and the official figures will confirm this. 

Skilled job applicants are seeking jobs overseas in other countries such as Australia or Canada, where permanent settlement and naturalisation are more easily available, instead of the UK.

In the last year the UK Border Agency has introduced sweeping points-based system reforms to Tier 1, Tier 2 working visas and Tier 4 student visas. There has also been a raft of changes to the Immigration Rules and guidance.

Tier 4 visa applications from non-EU students have fallen drastically according to student agents. Private colleges are closing down on a weekly basis, as reported by Immigration Matters readers, as the Tier 4 student visa changes take effect.

They have also scrapped the Post Study Work visa (PSW) from April 2012 and slapped a cap on immigration preventing employers from sponsoring non-EU skilled workers.

Tier 2 sponsoring employers have been hit by the cap on immigration and changes to the work permit rules last year. Care sector employers have stopped taking on non-EU care staff.

Although there is little the government can do to curb EU immigration, in December the Home Office extended employment restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians for two more years until the end of 2013. In July the UK Border Agency added new requirements – e.g. Comprehensive Sickness Insurance cover – to the ‘Yellow Card’ registration process.

See also:

A turbulent 2011 saw far reaching changes to UK Immigration Rules and a decline in the numbers of non-EU migrants and students

Fees to be charged for appeals against immigration and asylum refusals from 19 December 2011

Post Study Work Visa to be abolished April 2012 as part of student visa clampdown

New Tier 4 student visa rules now in force

More immigrants needed to boost British economy

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

As we say goodbye to a stormy and turbulent 2011, the year will be remembered for far reaching changes to UK Immigration Rules which have already resulted in a decline in non-EU migration and student applications.
Immigration Matters wishes you a happy and prosperous New Year!

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Agency temporary workers in the UK are set to qualify for a pay and conditions boost as new rights come into effect…Whilst employers are reluctant to take on an employee on a self employed basis, some agencies are not so fussy and will employ Bulgarians and Romanians regardless of their status. But ‘flexibility’ comes at a price. Long hours, no holiday or sick pay and rates as low as £3 per hour are common in agencies which turn a blind eye to your immigration status.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk

A key factor has been a Conservative led coalition government determined to slash net migration to the tens of thousands from the hundreds of thousands under Labour.

Left with crippling debts and economic woes, the government is hoping that reducing immigration will help get millions of unemployed Britons back to work and off state benefits.

In the last year the UK Border Agency has introduced sweeping points-based system changes to Tier 1, Tier 2 working visas and Tier 4 student visas.

They have also scrapped the Post Study Work visa (PSW) from April 2012 and slapped a cap on immigration preventing employers from sponsoring non-EU skilled workers.

Following important changes to the student visa rules in April and July it has become much more of a challenge extending ‘leave to remain’ as a student (e.g. the ‘3 year’ rule) and sponsor dependants.

Immigration Advisers have reported a steep rise in the number of in-country appeals, perhaps prompting the Home Office to introduce new fees for appeals in December.

Working hours for lower level students have been slashed or banned altogether for those applying to private colleges after 4 July 2011.

Hundreds of private colleges have had their Tier 4 Sponsor’s licence revoked or have gone out of business as new student numbers fell through the floor. I have seen countless numbers of international students caught in the crossfire in the crackdown on private colleges. Many have lost their money and no longer have the required funds to apply for a new student visa.

In recent times the vast majority of migrants have come to the UK under Labour administrations in the 1970’s and more recently when Tony Blair came to power in 1997.

The Blair years saw the expansion of the Work Permit scheme and the successful student initiative which encouraged hundreds of thousands of international students to study in the UK adding billions of pounds to the economy. 

A turning point for non-EU migrants was the expansion of the European Union, which has resulted in EU migrants taking more of the lower skilled jobs.

However, not all EU citizens have escaped the curbs on immigration. In December the government extended employment restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians for two more years until the end of 2013. In July the UK Border Agency added new requirements – e.g. Comprehensive Sickness Insurance cover – to the ‘Yellow Card’ registration process.

With many European economies in recession, the immediate future for non-EU migrants does not look rosy, but try and stay positive. Immigration is cyclical by nature depending on the host country’s economic needs.

Skilled job applicants are seeking jobs overseas in other countries such as Australia or Canada, where permanent settlement is more easily available instead of the UK.

As one immigration ‘wave’ comes to an end a new one comes along or pops up somewhere else. Potential migrants must be alert and ready to ride the next wave before it takes off.

It could be in the Middle East or Asia, Australia, Canada or in one of the emerging economic super powers such as Brazil and China which have overtaken Britain in the world economic rankings.

In the ‘information age’ and with emerging markets opening up, new opportunities for skilled and talented people are limitless, so continuous professional development, training, and education are the keys to your success.

The big question you must ask yourself is do I have the right skills, qualifications and knowledge to ride the next wave and take advantage of those opportunities?

Immigration Matters wishes you a happy and prosperous New Year!

See also:

Fees to be charged for appeals against immigration and asylum refusals from 19 December 2011

Post Study Work Visa to be abolished April 2012 as part of student visa clampdown

New Tier 4 student visa rules now in force

More immigrants needed to boost British economy

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa, ILR/Settlement, Citizenship, dependant visa or an appeal against a refusal please email: info@immigrationmatters.co.uk or visit www.immigrationmatters.co.uk