Immigration Minister’s answers to your questions released
Immigration Minister, Damian Green, has posted a video on YouTube where he answers selected questions submitted by members of the public.The video, Ask the minister: Damian Green deals with a selection of over 300 submitted questions. Mr Green was taking questions by email and Twitter at the start of April about the recent changes to Tiers 1, 2 and 4 of the points based system.
The video clarifies the situation on specific details such as:
- whether or not fixed penalty points on a driving license count as a criminal conviction
- how the changes to the skilled occupation list affect chefs
- how to demonstrate exception talent for the new Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route
- how academics can recruit researchers and staff for specific roles
Mr Green also makes it clear that the UKBA and Home Office have an unsympathetic stance to people in the country illegally, whatever their reasons and circumstances. In his answer to the first question he states that anyone in the country illegally is a criminal and can expect to be treated as such.
Many other questions feature direct requests from Mr Green for the public to provide information on anyone who is in the country illegally, or somehow abusing the visa system. Whilst the UKBA are ‘trying very hard to crack down’ on abuses of the system, he requests the public help with this task.
It is interesting to note that Mr Green makes no reference to specific reasons as to why someone may be in the country illegally. Even if someone has been here a long time with their family, worked all that time, been a leading community figure and built a life here it seems they should expect to be deported if they are caught.
The video also clarifies that a ‘white collar American who makes over 50K GBP per year, and wants to contribute to the UK economy’ will be welcome to the UK owing to his salary. This is a very conservative example of a non-EU migrant to pick.
Unfortunately Mr Green also says that he feels the data the changes to policy were based on is accurate and reliable. This goes against the findings of independent bodies, including a cross-party Home Affairs Select Committee report produced by Mr Green’s fellow MPs. It is unlikely that these valid objections have had, or will have, any impact.
The questions
The Immigration Minister answered the following questions in the video:
- Why do you deport illegal hardworking families who never claim benefits but let dangerous criminals stay
- Talented migrants with high earnings and exceptional qualifications. Do you want to throw them out?
- What are the options for a working class, white collar American who makes over 50K GBP per year, and wants to contribute to the UK economy?
- What is the government planning to do to encourage investors from overseas?
- Why do the government’s reforms of he student visa system appear to punish and deter genuine students instead of targeting the individuals that abuse the system?
- People applying for permanent residence need to be free of criminal convictions. Does this include fixed penalty points on a driving license?
- How does limiting immigration of high-level intellectual talent from outside the EU actually benefit the UK?
- I am trying to recruit a head chef for my Kosher restaurant. It is impossible to find people locally. Is it true that I cannot now sponsor a chef to come to the UK?
- I am a professor of computer science. I regularly need to employ specialist staff who are quite likely not to be from the EU. What can I do?
- What measures will be in place to check up on those who are already here under the Tier 2 (intra company transfer) route?
- How do you propose to fill all the vacancies in residential care homes currently filed by migrant labour?
- How do I prove exceptional talent and to whom?
- Why has the government implemented a cap on immigration before it has reliable data?
- Why will non-highly trusted sponsors be able to accept student visors when this is more prone to abuse that Tier 4?
ILR and citizenship
Despite this excellent opportunity, Mr Green made no reference to the Life in the UK test or the upcoming review of ILR and citizenship that has been. hinted at by the Prime Minister in his recent speech .
Questions on this topic were sent to the minister by www.lifeintheuk.net, but no response was provided in the video, or separately. As soon as we have further details we will post them on this site.
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