In a week when London’s temperature soared to 32 degrees, Home Secretary Alan Johnson ordered the UK Border Agency to review its rollout of compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals, with a view to accelerating the process. But at the same he appears to be making a ‘U turn’ on mandatory ID cards for British Citizens.

The agency has already issued 50,000 ID cards for foreign nationals legally living and working in the United Kingdom, and expects that all within three years foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) will need to have an ID card if they are coming to the UK for longer than six months or extending their stay. Full Story.

Italy adopts new law criminalising illegal immigration

Italy takes a hard line on immigration in a move that harps back to its fascist era under Mussolini. Last week Italy’s Parliament approved a law criminalising illegal immigration and allowing citizens’ patrols to help the police keep order

Deportation reprieve for skippers and Filipino Fishermen

Deportation reprieve for Filipino Fishermen, but the loophole which allows non EU workers to be employed “off-shore” can lead to exploitation. We have met a number of Filipino workers employed by UK companies on vessels off-shore without a Work Permit. Several were forced to jump ship because of extremely low pay and poor working conditions.

London’s first Swine Flu death but no need to panic

The BBC reports that a 19-year-old man has died after contracting swine flu in London, the fourth fatal case in the UK. However, to put this into perspective, the UK has a population of over 60 million, with 7.5 million people living in London alone.

Scotland wants own immigration system

The new Australian-style “points system”, which has been recently brought in by Home Office, requires new immigrants to amass enough points, based on factors such as a employment, skills shortages and community links to gain entry to the United Kingdom. Last week the Government published the latest approved Shortage Occupations List for Tier 2 of the points based system, which includes Care Assistants.

Visa requirement for South Africans starts today

The announcement is clearly designed to reassure the public that the Labour Government is taking steps to secure and strengthen Britain’s borders.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

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

The agency has already issued 50,000 ID cards for foreign nationals legally living and working in the United Kingdom, and expects that all within three years foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) will need to have an ID card if they are coming to the UK for longer than six months or extending their stay.

The UK Border Agency website said that the Government plans to speed up the rollout of identity cards for British Citizens. But other reports suggest otherwise, with David Davis refuting the claim in a BBC report, and The Independent describes the move, in terms of compulsary cards for British Citizens, as the “Last rites for ID cards“.

An independent Identity Commissioner will be appointed in the near future to oversee the National Identity Service, but compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals will continue to be overseen by the Information Commissioner and the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency.

Speaking on BBC’s Question Time this evening, Leader of the House Harriot Harmon refused to confirm that the Government would force British people to carry ID Cards.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Studying in the UK, Settlement, Citizenship, Sponsorship, extending Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

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

The offender was sentenced to 24 weeks’ imprisonment, but because he has already served time on remand will be immediately deported.

Gil Elecana Fresco, a ship’s cook from Manila, was sentenced for being knowingly concerned in the importation of five pornographic DVDs.

The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to the offence at Southampton Crown Court on 30 June 2009,  after the case was successfully prosecuted by the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office.

Fresco was intercepted by UK Border Agency detection officers from HM Cutter ‘Searcher’ in the Solent on 1 April 2009. Officers discovered the obscene material during a search of Fresco’s cabin on the oil tanker MV ‘Donizetti’. The vessel had sailed from Rotterdam, Holland. Officers from HM Revenue & Customs then took over the investigation.

Tim Fleming, senior criminal investigation officer at HM Revenue & Customs, said:

‘Our message is clear. We will not tolerate criminals who attempt to import this distasteful and offensive material into the UK. Customs investigators will continue to work closely with UK Border Agency officers to protect society from this appalling trade.

‘We would urge anyone with information about this type of crime to call the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000.’

The UK Border Agency are sending out a clear message to anyone thinking about bringing in illegal material.

See also:

Do not bring your fake Louis Vuitton handbag to London

If you need any immigration advice or help with Studying in the UK, Settlement, Citizenship, Sponsorship, extending Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

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

Visitors will be fingerprinted and checked against watch-lists before being issued with entry clearance to travel.

The Government say the new rules were introduced to counter passport and identity fraud.

The move follows the first global review of who needs a visa to come to the UK for a short-term visit.

Visa regimes for visitors have now been imposed on five new countries – Bolivia, Venezuela, South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

The Government has carried out a “global assessment” of all non-European countries to “determine the level of risk their citizens potentially pose to the United Kingdom in terms of illegal immigration, crime and security”.

People from over 100 countries now require a visa to come to the UK, and the UK Border Agency has already collected more than four million fingerprints from people applying for visas worldwide.

Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

‘Already our shake-up of border security is delivering results, with fingerprint visas helping us catch thousands of people trying to hide their true identity or a criminal past.

‘Today sees visa checks come into effect in the remaining countries that failed to pass our strict visa waiver test.

‘I am determined that the UK Border Agency should continue to strengthen the border and 2009 is the year of delivery. As well as applying greater scrutiny to visitors, we are being more selective about who can work in the UK and coming down hard on rule breakers.’

In February, Home Secretary Alan Johnson pledged to make a number of immigration changes including a commitment to increase detention space by opening a 426-bed immigration removal centre Brook House.

This facility near Gatwick Airport enables the Government to continue to “remove record numbers of foreign lawbreakers from the United Kingdom – with the Government vowing to send home a further 5,800 by the end of this year”. 

The Government claims the points based system has ensured migration matches the country’s needs, with employers having to advertise all skilled ‘tier 2′ jobs to resident workers through JobCentre Plus before they can bring migrant workers in from outside Europe. 

The criteria for highly skilled migrants under Tier 1 has also been tightened by raising the qualifications and salary level required for highly skilled workers to a Masters degree and a minimum salary of £20,000.

The announcement is clearly designed to reassure the public that the Labour Government is taking steps to secure and strengthen Britain’s borders. 

If you need any immigration advice or help with Studying in the UK, Settlement, Citizenship, Sponsorship, extending Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

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

Most migrants coming to the UK from tropical countries, like the Philippines and India, expect the weather to be freezing cold all year round, packing their huge suitcases with coats, jumpers and even blankets.

To be fair, for the most part they are right to anticipate chilly winds and rain. Just a few weeks ago in the middle of June students arriving at London’s Majestic College were remarking how cold it felt when natives were sweltering, said Centre Manager Cynthia Barker.

Britain copes well with winter weather, but is not equipped for scorching summers.

Air conditioning is not available in every building and and is still a rarity in most peoples homes. The massive London underground network is almost unbearable on a day like today.

But the bottom line is you cannot survive without central heating for nine months of the year, whereas you can suffer a few weeks of British summer.

My advice to migrant workers or students arriving from anywhere south of Spain is to expect to feel the cold here from September to April. Although hardy Brits will happily wear a tee-shirt in November, you will probably need thermal underwear and a woolly sweater when you are still in the house!

For full weather reports check the BBC website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/ 

If you need any immigration advice or help with Studying in the UK, Settlement, Citizenship, Sponsorship, extending Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

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

I have seen overseas nurses and senior carers run up debts of over £20,000 in loans and credit card expenditure.

UK banks and credit card companies have had a much looser lending policy than migrants would have experienced in almost any other country in the world.

In the past few years credit cards with huge limits have been thrown like confetti at virtually anybody regardless of their credit rating, income or existing commitments.

To a person who had never been given access to any credit it must have seemed like every day was Christmas day!

Mortgages of up to seven times annual salary and 125% of the property value were given to people with little track record.

Although banks have tightened up since the credit crunch woke them up to reality, this does not help those already in debt.

To make things worse, migrants often have even more pressing debts back home in their own country, with unscrupulous money lenders charging them interest rates at over 1000% per annum.

Where can you get independent advice?

The Debt Advice Trust is a UK registered not for profit organisation which exists to enable people in serious debt to get advice on various debt solutions ranging from Bankruptcy to an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangements), Debt Management Plans and more.

They provide a source of expert, honest and impartial advice about getting out of debt. Their fully trained Counsellors will help ensure you are provided with the best advice for your particular situation.

Civil or legal action against you may affect your application for visa extension or ILR, as a question related to this appears of immigration forms.

Finally, never use illegal money lenders and loan sharks – you will only get yourself deeper into debt.

http://www.debtadvicetrust.org/

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship or Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

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

Mr Darling admitted that net public sector borrowing would hit a massive £175 billion this year, and total national debt would peak at almost 80 per cent of GDP. 

Altogether the Treasury is forecasting borrowing of more than £700 billion over the next five years – and that figure could rise if Mr Darling is wrong in his prediction that the UK will emerge from recession by the end of this year and return to growth thereafter. 

The Chancellor said that those earning more than £150,000 a year would be taxed at 50p in the pound from next April, up from 40p. Those earning more than £100,000 a year will lose all personal allowances, significantly increasing the tax bills of thousands of professionals, including doctors and head teachers. 

The tax hike brought immediate warnings from the City that highly-paid individuals would move to countries with more progressive tax regimes, like Ireland or Switzerland, as happened under Labour in the 1970s when the top rate of tax hit 83 per cent. 

The UK economy contracted by 1.6 per cent in the last quarter of 2008 and would have declined by a similar amount in the first three months of this year. 

The Chancellor is confident that the British economy will suffer less than Germany, Japan, Italy, and the Euro area as a whole this year. The British economy is diverse, flexible and resilient – which is why we can be confident in recovery.” 

Mr Darling announced a £3 billion package of measures to help the jobless back into work and prevent those who lose their jobs becoming long-term unemployed. He also announced £1 billion in funding to help fight climate change, £2.5 billion to help businesses invest in high-technology jobs and £500 million to kickstart stalled housing projects. 

He also announced a £750 million strategic investment fund, which he said would help to unblock as much as £50 billion in new business investment this year, including £10 billion in the communication sector.

The Government will also contribute £300 million towards a “scrappage” scheme under which motorists can claim £2,000 towards a new car or van if they trade in a vehicle that is at least ten years old. 

For a full budget report including UK tax rates see the BBC website.

Demand for staff in areas affecting migrant workers, such as the Care Sector, remains strong, with Care Home employers still reporting shortages of Care Assistants and Nurses.

If you need help with sponsorship, immigration advice or an appeal against a refusal, please email:   

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

The forms and guidance are specifically for work permit applications for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals made on or after 01 April 2009. 

Work permit arrangements are only open to employers wishing to employ Bulgarian and Romanian nationals. Employers wishing to employ migrants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) should do so under Tier 2 of the points based system. See How I sponsor a migrant on the UK Border Agency website. 

But aren’t Bulgarian and Romanian workers the same as Poles? 

The short answer is no. Employers should be aware that Bulgarian and Romanians are not treated in the same way as other European Union (EU) citizens, and have less rights to work here that non-EU citizens such as the Swiss. 

Many Bulgarian and Romanian job hunters who travel to the UK are completely unaware that restrictions are in place. The newest EU members understandably assume that because they belong to the European Union they can move and work freely in any member state. This is not the case. 

Employers can now be fined up to £10,000 for each illegal worker employed. Possession of a National Insurance number is not a statutory defence for an employer who thinks this gives the holder the right to work in the UK. 

When the EU expanded in 2004, eight new member states, the so called ‘A8′ group of countries, including Poland, were only given free movement of labour by the UK, Ireland and Sweden. 

Germany, Spain, France and Italy were the notable countries that refused to allow the former Eastern Bloc citizens the right to work. This caused a massive imbalance resulting in former Immigration Minister Tony McNulty’s famous prediction that just 13,000 Eastern Europeans would come to the UK in the first year to be proved wildly out of touch with reality. 

It is estimated that around a million workers have arrived from Eastern Europe prompting an outcry from the tabloid press and later the Government to impose last minute restrictions on the ‘A2′ Bulgarian and Romanian citizens. 

Bulgarian and Romanian migrants can set up a business here or register as students under the Yellow Card scheme. Students taking vocational (NVQ) courses can work up to 40 hours per week on their Yellow Cards, which can lead to a more permanent status.

If you need any immigration advice or help with Sponsorship, Work Permits, Visa or an appeal against a refusal please email:

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