June 13, 2007
Suspend Changes to Immigration Rules,
say Tories By Prasun Sonwalkar
London, June 13 (IANS) The Conservative Party has called for the
suspension of the changes made to immigration rules in November 2006
that have adversely affected thousands of highly skilled
professionals from India and other non-European Union countries.
The changes have led to several Indian professionals being served
deportation notices, as they no longer meet the new criteria for
continuing their stay and work under the Highly Skilled Migrants
Programme (HSMP). They first entered Britain under different
criteria.
The migrants, who have organised themselves under the HSMP Forum,
have held demonstrations and initiated litigation to seek a reversal
of the retrospective application of the changes. The campaign has
enlisted support from across the political spectrum and leading
citizens.
The Conservative Party demanded suspension of the November 2006
changes after Britain's Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) stated
last week that the changes breached race laws.
In a letter to Immigration Minister Liam Bryne, the shadow
immigration minister Damian Green demanded that in view of the CRE
findings, all changes to the HSMP affecting professionals already in
Britain should be suspended.
Green wrote: "I spoke and voted against these changes because of our
objection to the retrospective element within them. We believe it is
unfair that skilled and useful workers who have made a commitment to
this country should have the rules of the game changed after they
have arrived here.
"It is of course proper for the government to make changes to the
qualification procedure for any class of immigrant, but not in the
unfair and retrospective way which applied in this case.
"Since the CRE has raised a new point about the failures in
consultation before these changes were introduced, I would ask that
all measures affecting those who were already in the UK when the
changes came into force should be suspended while the legality of
the changes is tested."
So far the Home Office has refused to reverse the changes or to stop
the retrospective application of the changes to people who are
already in Britain as per the earlier criteria.
According to Amit Kapadia, coordinator of the campaign against the
changes, Bryne had promised during a meeting on March 26 to review
the changes and to get back to him and Labour MP Keith Vaz within
days. But so far neither he nor Vaz have received any communication
in this regard from Bryne.
Bryne said in an interview: "I make no apology for tightening the
rules. What I said to the (HSMP) Forum was quite clear - we will
review the way the changes were introduced so we can learn the
lessons for when we bring in the new points-based system.
"This was a dry run for the points-based system, and we wanted to
test some of the changes. We will reflect on the lessons learned so
we can get the points system right in the New Year."
Kapadia said: "Majority of the affected HSMP holders in the UK are
from Asian and African countries. The retrospective changes created
great difficulties for them to sustain their further stay in
Britain.
"Unfortunately the UK government knowingly applied such stringent
rules on HSMP holders to disqualify them. Major political parties,
immigration lawyers and other bodies insist that the retrospective
rules are unfair and unjust and should be reversed but the
government is not listening".
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