‘Capping Immigration to the UK: Where Next?’ IPPR Report

Summary: The government has announced plans to cap immigration to the UK. This Institute for Public Policy Research report looks at the proposals and options for capping and reforming the routes which govern immigration for work from outside the EU.

The government’s headline objective on immigration is to reduce net immigration ’from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands’. Estimated net immigration to the UK (the surplus of people immigrating over people emigrating) in the year to December 2009 was 196,000. This means that even the most minimal interpretation of the government’s objective would require net immigration to the UK to be halved.

This briefing focuses on the proposals and options for capping and reforming the routes which govern immigration for work from outside the EU. Since all routes for low-skilled immigration for work are currently closed, this means Tiers 1 and 2 of the points-based system (PBS), which govern skilled immigration for work.

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How welcoming is Britain?

By Mark Easton

David Cameron today demanded that officials make it easier for foreigners to get visas to come to Britain. This, of course, is the same David Cameron who recently demanded that officials make it more difficult for foreigners to get visas to come to Britain.

It all depends on the kind of visa and the kind of foreigner.

The so-called immigration cap announced in June is aimed at reducing the number of foreigners being given work visas.

Today’s announcement is about increasing the number of foreigners being given tourist visas. The word the government wants to send out is that Britain welcomes visitors who come to spend but not migrants who come to work.

The problem is that it is a mixed message and, as the prime minister said in his speech on boosting our tourism industry this morning, “it’s a question of perception”.

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MRN e-briefing on the immigration cap

Migrants’ Rights Network has put together an e-briefing on the two immigration cap consultations underway and identified the key concerns which are being raised about the immigration cap. Please have a look at the e-briefing attached.

The government needs to hear about the very real contribution of migrants across the UK and of concerns about the impact of this policy on migrants’ rights nationally – information held by groups all over the UK. But the consultation questions which are being asked are pretty lengthy and some are quite technical. A number of smaller organisations have been saying that it’s hard to see how the consultations relate to their work and that they may not have time to respond. It is important for as many groups as possible to respond to the consultation if they possibly can – even if it is just a very short response.

Alternatively, we’ll be writing up the MRN response to the consultations next month and would be glad to include information from migrant and refugee community organisations who otherwise would not respond to the consultation.

We recommend that you look at the attached e-briefing, and then answer some or all of the below questions and send over to us.

Non-EU_cap_-_MRN_e-briefing_and_questions.doc

Immigration row shows world notices actions

David Cameron’s “spirit of humility” line is likely to undermine Britain’s prestige overseas. But, as the immigration cap controversy shows, the real risk stems from deepening division within the Cabinet.

There are currently six government ministers in India, courting one of the world’s largest emerging economies with all their might.

The prime minister is joined by his chancellor, foreign secretary and business secretary, amongst others, while over 50 senior British business figures are present to do their bit.

Even Steve Redgrave and Kelly Holmes have come along for the ride. Clearly, this is an important trip.

Yet the delegation has already raised some fundamental questions about the new government’s approach to foreign policy. In an article in the Hindu newspaper today, Cameron says Britain approaches India with a “spirit of humility”. It’s obviously an attempt to offset the centuries of imperial domination which are now played up as ’shared heritage’. Ah, those were the days.

Cameron’s “humility” reflects a new theme of subservience is developing in Britain’s approach to the world. Earlier this month, during Cameron’s first official trip to Washington, the PM made a similar remark, acknowledging that Britain was – and is – the “junior partner” to America. The comment attracted attention because he absurdly claimed it applied to the effort against the Nazis in 1940, when the US hadn’t even joined in the war. But its intention – a deliberate undermining of Britain’s previous grandstanding postures – is more significant.

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Capping immigration – the Tories win out

By Avery Hancock

Traditionally Conservatives have wanted to be tough on new migrants entering the UK, and have favoured single-country solutions, while the Liberal Democrats have been more welcoming and much keener to fulfil Britain’s international commitments and have stressed the need to work more with European Union partners. Avery Hancock considers how the coalition has so far indicted that this deeply emotive issue will be handled by the two parties.

The Conservatives seem to have carried the day in the coalition’s plans for immigration, dumping the Liberal Democrats’ plans to grant amnesty for illegal immigrations and imposing a cap on all non-EU economic migrants to the country. Many readers will remember the last TV election debate between the three top party leaders, where Nick Clegg ridiculed the idea of a cap. He claimed then that 80 per cent of immigrants in the UK come from the EU countries and therefore cannot be denied entry. But unfortunately for the Liberal Democrats this figure was wrong. In fact non-EU migrants count for around 60 per cent of the UK total.

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