UK Government launches far reaching consultation on family migration
The UK government has announced proposals to crack down on sham and forced marriages, as part of a new consultation on better family migration.
The consultation launched this week seeks to ensure that family migrants can integrate into society, and opens up debate on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the circumstances where the public interest in removing someone from the UK should outweigh the right to respect for family life.
Immigration minister Damian Green said:
‘This consultation is about better family migration – better for migrants, communities, and the UK as a whole.
‘We welcome those who want to make a life here with their family, but too often in the past the family route has been abused as a means to bypass our immigration laws.
‘That includes too many times when we have seen Article 8 used to place the rights of criminals and illegal migrants above the rights of the British public. That balance must be redressed where there is a clear public interest in removing someone from the UK.
‘Our message is clear – we will not tolerate abuses. And if you cannot support your foreign spouse or partner, you cannot expect the taxpayer to do it for you.’
The consultation focuses on stopping abuse, promoting integration and reducing burdens on the taxpayer. Its key proposals include:
- defining more clearly what constitutes a genuine and continuing marriage, to help identify sham and forced marriages;
- introducing a new minimum income threshold for sponsors of partners and dependants, to ensure that family migrants are adequately supported as a basis for integration – the independent Migration Advisory Committee has been asked to advise on what the threshold should be;
- extending the probationary period before partners can apply for settlement in the UK from 2 years to 5 years, to test that relationships are genuine and to encourage integration into British life;
- requiring partners and adult dependants aged under 65 to demonstrate that they can understand everyday English (B1 level on the Common European Framework for Languages) when they apply for settlement;
- exploring the case for making ’sham’ a lawful impediment to marriage in England and Wales, and for giving the authorities the power to delay a marriage where sham is suspected;
- working closely with local authorities to ensure that vulnerable people are not forced into marriage; and
- reviewing the full right of appeal for family visitor visas, and inviting views on whether there are circumstances (beyond race discrimination and human rights grounds) in which an appeal right should be retained.
In 2010, 48,900 visas were granted to people on the family route. Of these, 40,500 were granted on the basis of a marriage or civil or other partnership, and 8,400 were granted to other dependants.
At present, anyone who is refused a family visitor visa has the right of appeal. In 2009/10, these appeals – which were often based on new information which should have been submitted with the original application – made up approximately 40 per cent of all immigration appeals and cost around £40 million.
To reduce the financial burden on the taxpayer, and deliver an appropriate system for applicants, the government is reviewing this right of appeal. Appeals based on grounds of race discrimination and the European Convention on Human Rights will continue to be allowed, but the government is inviting views on whether an appeal right should be retained for family visitor visas in other circumstances.
To read the consultation document and take part in the family migration consultation, see the Consultations section of the UK Border Agency website. Source: UK Border Agency.
The proposed measures will bring about far reaching changes to family migration, until now considered a basic right.
The conservative coalition government has pledged to reduce net immigration to tens of thousands from the current hundreds of thousands.
Immigration from eastern Europe is still rising, even from Bulgaria and Romania despite restrictions on working in the UK.
Despite the fact that 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 also:
Free Immigration Advice at the Barrio Fiesta London
Bulgarian immigration increasing despite UK restrictions
UK Border Agency announce rules to extend of stay for skilled workers in ‘closed’ work schemes
New ‘Yellow Card’ form causing confusion for Romanians and Bulgarians
Immigration News weekly round up 10 July 2011
BR1 Form for ‘Yellow Card’ Registration revised
New Tier 4 student visa rules now in force
If you are affected by the closure of any nursing home and need any immigration advice, or are worried about the new immigration rules, or need 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
Reader Comments
Dear Sir or Madam
My Senior carer Work permit was startered on 18 February and now my salary is still £6.60hour.I will apply Indefinite Vise in next year January and my company said
I confirm that as an original work permit holder you have to be earning the £7.02 at the time of application.
Original work permit holders do not have to earning this amount for a time prior to application, this is for sponsored workers only.
Is that true or I still have to ask my company to raise my salary to 7.02.
Your sincerely
Wendy
Thanks
i can only say there should be a system that can work for all concerned. this in my case has to be proven as i have been trying to clear my name form a woman who lied excessively on domestic abuse juat to stay here after she arrived on a student’s visa from india, then bought false documents from univisas which granted her an extension on her student’s visa even though she never attended any school. then changed her application with lies and false accussations just to remain here. now she is using an innocent child whom she threatened to kill many times before it was born to claim family life here, where i have been fighting and will continue to do so to clear my name. she did not lie and presented the home office with false allegations and documents once but twice and got away with it. i will patiently wait to see the outcome.
What the government has to know is, the British are pirates by origin they stole rather pumped the wealth of world into England by deception, cheating, brutality, pimping, illegality, bribing, ruining dynasties, killing in cold blood and waging wars. When rest of the world was honest they were the only dishonest people. They taught countries to live in illegality and immorality. Now they say no single person can come into UK illegally. What a bloody joke.
The man/woman who has made the first malicious comment has been posting misleading comments about a woman to be harrassed.
This man/woman could be a possible extemist/terrorist please ignore the comments as he/she doesn’t understand the meaning of PEACE.
Violence is the only language known to this person.
If anyone allows this facists who wants to remove the rights of Family Life from any individual is not only a Racist but a Criminal.
Will continue to fight this ugly character who looking for public sympathy and patronise his artificial statements to cause public outrage.