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Points Based System
Jan 11, 2012
4 Comment(s)
Yes, you wait for ages for a definite analysis of the impact of migration on the economy, and like the 73 bus,a whole gaggle come along at once. How do we make sense of the apparently contradictory conclusions which have emerged from the NIESR and MAC reports?
MRN has been upfront in arguing that a clampdown on immigration is something we don’t need at a time when economies are struggling to escape from austerity. The viewpoint of anti-immigrant groups is exactly the opposite: at a time of pressing hardship we need to stop newcomers entering the country so we can preserve the jobs and services that remain for those already here.
MRN has been upfront in arguing that a clampdown on immigration is something we don’t need at a time when economies are struggling to escape from austerity. The viewpoint of anti-immigrant groups is exactly the opposite: at a time of pressing hardship we need to stop newcomers entering the country so we can preserve the jobs and services that remain for those already here.
Jan 3, 2012
7 Comment(s)
The start of a fresh New Year is a time for making predictions as well as resolutions. Resolutions are a bit personal, but predictions aren’t worth much unless you have the nerve to state them openly. So here’s my take on what challenges are in store for the world of immigration in 2012.....
Firstly, the coming year will be the last chance the coalition government has to declare itself fully in control of movements across borders, before its narrative breaks down in 2013 and following years. Home Secretary Teresa May will continue to work hard to offer raw red meat to the backbenchers of her own party with evidence that security at air and sea ports and the Eurostar stations is tight. This will be achieved at the cost of long delays and enormous queues, as we saw at Heathrow last summer, with tourists suffering in their thousands as they struggle to clear passport checks.
Firstly, the coming year will be the last chance the coalition government has to declare itself fully in control of movements across borders, before its narrative breaks down in 2013 and following years. Home Secretary Teresa May will continue to work hard to offer raw red meat to the backbenchers of her own party with evidence that security at air and sea ports and the Eurostar stations is tight. This will be achieved at the cost of long delays and enormous queues, as we saw at Heathrow last summer, with tourists suffering in their thousands as they struggle to clear passport checks.
Dec 13, 2011
2 Comment(s)
The debate on immigration in Parliament pulled in 24 MPs of which two were Home Office ministers (Damian Green MP and James Brokenshire MP) and one was the Shadow Minister for Immigration (Chris Bryant MP). There was no specific element of UK immigration policy on trial in the Commons chamber but the subject in its entirety was debated, drawing on comparisons between the previous and incumbent governments record on the matter.
Damian Green MP, the Minister of State for Immigration, gave the audience an update on the government’s vision and priorities on immigration, repeating the oft heard mantra of attracting ‘the brightest and the best’, or as we now hear ‘selective immigration’ because the previous government had a system that ‘was not only chaotic but indiscriminate’. This statement could be interpreted as a government policy that happily promotes discrimination, coating it with the arch-narrative of ‘protecting jobs’ and only attracting the ‘investors’ and ‘entrepreneurs’.
Damian Green MP, the Minister of State for Immigration, gave the audience an update on the government’s vision and priorities on immigration, repeating the oft heard mantra of attracting ‘the brightest and the best’, or as we now hear ‘selective immigration’ because the previous government had a system that ‘was not only chaotic but indiscriminate’. This statement could be interpreted as a government policy that happily promotes discrimination, coating it with the arch-narrative of ‘protecting jobs’ and only attracting the ‘investors’ and ‘entrepreneurs’.
Oct 10, 2011
37 Comment(s)
Here's my quick blast based on a speed read of what Mr Cameron said today about his next plans for UK immigration policy. Your views and comments are most welcome.....
The immediate responses to Mr Cameron’s speech on immigration today seem to be concerned with his reference to new laws outlawing forced marriages, increasing the earnings limit for family settlement, and the call on people to report “suspected illegal migrants” to the UK Border Agency through the Crimestoppers phone line.
The immediate responses to Mr Cameron’s speech on immigration today seem to be concerned with his reference to new laws outlawing forced marriages, increasing the earnings limit for family settlement, and the call on people to report “suspected illegal migrants” to the UK Border Agency through the Crimestoppers phone line.
Sep 9, 2011
The Migrants’ Rights Network will be hosting a fringe event at the Labour Party conference (25 September, Liverpool), entitled ‘Labour, immigration and the working class vote’.
We are anticipating a high-quality debate with an excellent mix of MPs, sector representatives and political commentators.
We are anticipating a high-quality debate with an excellent mix of MPs, sector representatives and political commentators.
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