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Blogs by Ruth Grove-White

'Keeping families apart' – MRN briefing on family migration policy
Ruth Grove-White April 19, 2012 40 Comment(s)
The MRN campaign on family migration releases a new briefing paper showing that a higher income threshold for family migration could shut out 50% of the UK working population from bringing a spouse or partner here – with ethnic minorities, women and children particularly hit.

Since last summer's public consultation we have been waiting for the government to announce its final decision on changes to toughen up family migration policy – during which MRN has been producing regular analysis of the proposals.
Immigration cap stabilised until 2014 - so how can we win the bigger argument?
Ruth Grove-White April 10, 2012 1 Comment(s)
A rare moment of stability in the immigration system has arrived – apparently the government’s annual cap on migrant workers will not be changing for the next two years. But we will continue to need a wide coalition of voices if we are to influence the wider government agenda.

Last week’s statement from Damian Green was, for once, met with cautious relief from UK employers - after all, they can be confident that they had a clear hand in influencing policy on this occasion. Green announced that the annual cap on non-EU migrant workers coming to the UK will remain fixed at its current level until 2014 – offering up a rare dose of predictability within the immigration system for business and public sector employers.
Migrant advocates from across UK come together for MRN summit
Ruth Grove-White March 22, 2012 1 Comment(s)
What helps to bring about change on the issues that matter to us? How can networks strengthen and add value to our work? Last Friday in a hall in East London we got closer to answering those questions in relation to the UK migrant rights’ movement.

MRN was joined for our third annual MRN national network meeting at the Amnesty International building in Old Street, London, by fifty key organisations in our UK network working in support of migrants, from frontline organisations, charities, trade unions and thinktanks. We were inspired by the effort that many people made to come – with representatives from as far afield as Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and Belfast as well as London.
House of Lords votes against immigration amendment to Legal Aid Bill by small majority
Ruth Grove-White March 14, 2012 2 Comment(s)
Campaigning on immigration and legal aid built real support in the House of Lords – but fell short of passing a significant amendment to the Bill earlier this week. So has enough progress has been made to support more efforts in the future…?

Not every battle can be won – but as they go, this was a close one.
Government confirms new tough rules on settlement and domestic workers
Ruth Grove-White March 1, 2012 2 Comment(s)
The latest batch of government policies is out: from April many skilled migrant workers will be prevented from moving towards settling here, but migrant domestic workers have come off the worst…

If there is one thing that the UK government seems able to deliver on at the moment when it comes to migration policy, it’s keeping migrant workers on their toes by making the rules progressively more difficult for them. This week has brought a fresh blizzard of news and analysis affecting economic migration to the UK – and as anticipated the fallout will land most heavily on lower-earning migrant workers and migrant domestic workers.