GOVERNMENT TO STRENGTHEN 'OFF-SHORE' BORDER
(28 March 2007)

More people will face checks before entering the UK to further tighten the UK’s borders, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne announced today. Through the introduction of a US-style visa waiver programme, the Government will create a strengthened border control to screen people it wants to enter the UK and to deny entry to those it does not, even before they get here. ‘Securing the UK Border’, published today, also sets out how the UK will overhaul visitor visas - including consulting on tougher sanctions for sponsors of family visas, consulting on requiring English for spouses as well as installing technology at UK ports to record biometrics of non-EEA citizens without visas.

The Minister also confirmed today that the Home Office will be setting up the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Once up and running it will advise Ministers on where migration might sensibly fill gaps in the labour market.

Together the strategy creates a system of triple checks for foreign nationals:

• By the end of 2008 half the countries in the world, covering three quarters of the world’s population will all need biometric visas with their fingerprints checked against the UK Government database, before travelling to the UK;
• From 2009 the majority of people will be counted in and out of the UK; and
• ID Cards for foreign nationals to help ensure only those entitled gain access to work and benefits.

The government is also establishing a new Migration Impacts Forum (MIF), jointly chaired by Immigration Minister Liam Byrne and Communities Minister Phil Woolas. It will provide information on the wider impacts of migration on local communities and how best to ensure public services can respond and community cohesion retained.

Habib Rahman, Chief Executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said: “We welcome a number of proposals today as acknowledging the contribution which migrants can make to the UK but we will need to see the detail. In addition we point out that it is migrants who are already living lawfully and contributing positively as members of UK society who will end up paying for the immigration enforcement within the UK.

“From Monday applicants for indefinite leave to remain and naturalisation will pay double for their application fees.* In particular the new ILR regime with its test requirements will make the integration of refugees and other vulnerable migrant groups harder. The new rules could effectively deny UK settlement and citizenship to some of the children in these families indeterminately** while the fees relative to these groups’ lower incomes are swingeing.

“It is completely unfair that these vulnerable groups should bear the brunt of the costs of increased immigration enforcement. It is also misleading to claim that the fee increases will help yield £100 extra million for enforcement*** when the true cost of detaining and deporting the entire irregular population is over £4 billion**** - even if we agreed that was a humane way to proceed. If the Government is sincere in wishing to respond to the issue of the entire irregular population a regularisation scheme would be a more compassionate and practical step.”

Migration advisory committee

“The creation of the MAC is a positive and welcome acknowledgement of migrants’ contribution to the UK economy. However we have concerns that one single body will be responsible for deciding shortages in the labour market. We remain to be convinced that any agency will be able to respond effectively to labour market change given the dynamic and occasionally unpredictable nature of the economy. We are furthermore concerned about the composition of such a body. How is fair representation of a range of stakeholders in migrant labour going to be achieved? Will it include small businesses, the care industry, social services etc Social care strategy – with policies encouraging people to purchase care in their private homes – could generate a huge demand, a fact currently unacknowledged by migration policy. And in the end such a body will only be effective and independent if it is properly resourced and its advice listened to by Government – whatever the latest media storm over migrant workers.”

More opportunities for those already studying in the UK

“This has the potential to be an extremely important and progressive opportunity for students from the global south to expand their skills, experience, and remitting ability. However we will be looking carefully at the detail as the operation of the rules will have an impact as to whether these goals can be realised.”

Raising the entry age of fiancés from outside the EU

“Raising the entry age of fiancés from outside the EU so that it is higher than the age of legal marriage for UK nationals would be discriminatory. We are concerned that it would prevent large numbers of genuine marriages going ahead and so be a disproportionate measure. JCWI is concerned for victims for forced marriage and if there is conclusive scientific evidence that raising the entry age for fiances would prevent forced marriage we want to see it but at present we do not see that raising the entry age to 21 will have the looked for effect. “

*For example Grant of indefinite leave to remain, is to be increased to £750 if done by post, and from £500 to £950 if the applicant wants an accelerated process or to get permission in person. In addition, the applicant would have to pay for the citizenship test, which currently costs £68.

**As secondary applicants such as children depend on the success of the primary applicants, usually the parents, before they are able to make an application themselves. Thus a child educated in the UK and speaking good English could be denied settlement if the parent continually fails the Knowledge of Life in the UK test

*** Baroness Scotland:, Lords Hansard 8 Mar 2007: Column 407: “The additional revenue raised by fees set at over-cost levels will be used to recover the overall costs of the immigration system, including the step change in enforcement activity and border security set out in the IND review published last summer and most recently in the comprehensive and radical cross-government enforcement strategy published yesterday. The strategy will be backed up by around an extra £100 million for immigration policing, detention space and systems to share data and intelligence on those here illegally, which are designed to bear down on those seeking to cheat the system and live here unlawfully.