Migrants to wait for ten years for Citizenship

(Workpermit.com- Additional Reporting by Elisha Shamba) – Immigrants in Britain now might have to wait for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship with the UK government proposing new tests and a longer probationary period.

The proposals, which were introduced in parliament and expected to be implemented from late 2009, include a new ‘immigration tax’ to help finance the extra pressure that immigrants put on services such as health and education.

However the left-leaning Institute for Public Research yesterday maintained that tough rules on who is allowed to work in the UK will damage the country’s economic recovery.
The economic downturn could be longer and deeper,the think tank said.

Placing restrictions on migrants who plug skills gaps or take jobs which Britons will not perform will damage the economy, researchers said.

The Immigration and Citizenship Bill will end the automatic right to stay after five years’ residence and replace it with “earned citizenship”.

Migrants who can demonstrate a knowledge of English and life in the UK and who carry out voluntary work will have their timetable for citizenship speeded up. The Bill will also place restrictions on migrants’ access to benefits and housing.

Tim Finch, head of the IPPR’s migration team, said: “Migrants become easy targets at times of economic difficulty but introducing yet more tough measures to exclude people could damage our prospects for economic recovery. As it stands, the Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill could deter migrants who are in high demand and who are essential for our economy.

“Not all migrants will want to settle in the UK, but some will and so it’s important that the over-complicated process of “earned citizenship” is made more clear and fair.”

He called for a “clear” and “flexible” system for earned citizenship and said it could be unfair to deny benefits to migrants who are working and paying taxes.

IPPR said that the bill needs to address the following issues:

Flexibility: The proposals on so-called “earned citizenship”, along with the new tighter points-based system of managed migration, must be sufficiently flexible to ensure that the UK’s long-term economic need for migrants is met.

Clarity: It is unclear what migrants will be required to do to “earn” citizenship during the so called “probationary period”. To ensure the system is transparent and fair it needs to be clear what contributions to British life are to be considered, how they will be judged and by who.

Fairness: As-yet unspecified restrictions are proposed on migrants’ access to benefits and social housing. However, migrants who have not achieved full citizenship may still be contributing a great deal to the country, and may have raised their families here. Is it fair in these circumstances to deny them a welfare.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The points system will make sure that where we need foreign workers to fill gaps, we can get them. Its flexibility means that we can raise or lower the bar according to the needs of the labour market and the country as a whole. By demanding migrants earn their right to be here, we will ensure only those who make a contribution to Britain can stay in the country.”