The government announced (in the Queen's Speech) plans for a Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill. The Bill would provide for a 'fully integrated approach' to border control, giving the Border Agency powers to carry out customs checks. People who failed to integrate in the United Kingdom, or committed 'even minor crimes', would have their citizenship applications slowed down. The government would bring in a new duty on the Border Agency to recognize the need to safeguard children's welfare.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 3 December 2008, columns 8-9, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | UKBA press release | Liberty press release | IRR press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2008-Dec
The United Kingdom ratified the Council of Europe convention against human trafficking.
Source: Press release 17 December 2008, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Home Office press release | Unicef press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Dec
The High Court ruled that laws preventing an asylum-seeker from taking a job were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The man could not be returned to his home country because it was considered too dangerous, and had been in the United Kingdom for seven years while his case was considered.
Source: Dawit Tekle v Secretary of State for the Home Department, High Court 11 December 2008
Links: Text of judgement | Observer report
Date: 2008-Dec
A think-tank report said that asylum-seekers who had been refused permission to live in the United Kingdom, but who were unable to return to their country of origin, should be allowed to work and access healthcare.
Source: Asylum Matters: Restoring trust in the UK asylum system, Centre for Social Justice (020 7620 1120)
Links: Report | Summary | CSJ press release | Refugee Council press release | Refugee Action press release | CAP press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Dec
A report examined the neighbourhood needs and experiences of new immigrants in three neighbourhood management areas (in Birmingham).
Source: Jenny Phillimore, Lisa Goodson, Deborah Hennessy and Jayne Thornhill, The Neighbourhood Needs of New Migrants, Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (0121 414 5028)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Dec
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that migrant workers in Wales created new businesses, met labour shortages, and were no more likely to perpetrate crimes than other citizens: but a significant number of them were 'unscrupulously exploited'.
Source: Issues Affecting Migrant Workers in Wales, Their Families and the Communities in Which they Live and Work, Equality of Opportunity Committee/National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report | NAW press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Nov
Net migration (the difference between immigration and emigration) was 237,000 in 2007, up 46,000 on 2006, as a result of emigration falling more than immigration.
Source: Press release 19 November 2008, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: ONS press release | Conservative Party press release | BBC report | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Nov
A report said that migrant workers too often found themselves living in expensive, overcrowded, and poor-quality accommodation. It made a series of recommendations designed to address existing accommodation issues, and create systems that would respond to future migration.
Source: Diane Diacon, Ben Pattison, Jim Vine and Silvia Yafai,Home from Home: Addressing the issues of migrant workers' housing, Building and Social Housing Foundation (01530 510444)
Links: Report | BSHF press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Oct
A paper examined the extent to which migrants to Britain had been assimilated into the workforce. When a migrant worker first arrived they experienced a pay gap with native-born counterparts of over 30 per cent for men and 15 per cent for women. This pay penalty declined with years spent in Britain. For migrant men it took 20 years to eradicate the difference, and for migrant women just 4-6 years.
Source: Richard Dickens and Abigail McKnight, Assimilation of Migrants into the British Labour Market, CASEpaper 133, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Paper | LSE press release
Date: 2008-Oct
A report examined the circumstances of asylum-seekers who were living on the £35-per-week vouchers given to those whose claims had been refused but who were still in the country (either because they were waiting to return home voluntarily or because it was not safe for them to return home). People living on vouchers were hungry and in poor health. They were forced to walk miles to the nearest supermarket that would accept the vouchers, as they had no cash for public transport. Families were struggling to buy nappies and other provisions for their babies.
Source: Lisa Doyle, More Token Gestures: A report into the use of vouchers for asylum seekers claiming Section 4 support, Refugee Council (020 7820 3042)
Links: Report | Refugee Council press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Oct
A report examined the issue of housing and migration. It called on the government to improve regulation of housing conditions in the private rented sector, and ensure a more effective housing and welfare safety net for migrants and non-migrants alike.
Source: Elizabeth O'Hara, No Place Like Home? Addressing the issues of housing and migration, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report | Shelter press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Oct
A report (published by a group opposed to large-scale immigration) said that the number of immigrants who were given permission to settle permanently in the United Kingdom should be kept to approximately the same level as the number of British citizens who were emigrating. The existing points-based system would continue: but permission to work would be limited to four years, and those wishing to remain beyond that time would need to apply through a further points system, with skills being the main criterion for permanent settlement.
Source: Frank Field MP and Nicholas Soames MP, Balanced Migration: A new approach to controlling immigration, MigrationwatchUK (01869 337007)
Links: Report | IAS press release | CIPD press release | FT report | Telegraph report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Personnel Today report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Sep
A think-tank report said that central government, local authorities, and employers had underestimated the economic benefits that migrants brought to local economies. It highlighted the benefits of improving the 'skills mix' in an area, increasing an area's diversity, and changing the size and productivity of local economies.
Source: Max Nathan, Your Place or Mine? The local economics of migration, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Report | IPPR press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Inside Housing report | Personnel Today report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Sep
The government announced, following a review, that it intended to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in full – with the result that vulnerable children who were subject to immigration control would in future be entitled to the fundamental human rights set out in the Convention.
Source: Press release 22 September 2008, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0870 000 2288)
Links: DCSF press release | UNICEF press release | Save the Children press release | Liberty press release | NICCY press release | Childrens Society press release | BID press release
Date: 2008-Sep
A report said that improvements needed to be introduced to strengthen effective respect for the rights of asylum-seekers and immigrants in the United Kingdom.
Source: Memorandum by Thomas Hammarberg (Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe), 18 September 2008, Council of Europe (+33 (0)3 88 41 25 60)
Links: Memorandum | Council of Europe press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Sep
An article examined recent trends in migration to and from the United Kingdom. The UK remained an important destination country for international migration flows, as well as experiencing high levels of emigration by its own citizens. The total number of 'A8' citizens (from the eastern Europe states which joined the European Union in 2004) was 587 000 in 2007, of whom 409 000 were working – a much higher proportion than among the native-born population.
Source: 'Recent changes in migration movements and policies: United Kingdom', OECD Social Issues/Migration/Health, Volume 2008 Number 14
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Sep
A think-tank report said that immigration restrictions were economically perverse. Immigration controls reduced the welfare of the host population, and by raising the cost of products and services harmed those on the lowest incomes most. A selective immigration policy could not possibly determine the right number or mix of people the country currently needed, let alone how these would evolve in the future.
Source: Philippe Legrain, The Politics of Migration, CentreForum (020 7340 1160)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Sep
A think-tank report called for an 'earned' regularization programme for those illegal immigrants who contributed to British society. This would give some illegal immigrants the opportunity to attain permanent residency – producing fiscal gains for the government, but also drastically reducing the numbers of illegal immigrants unknown to the security services.
Source: Demetrios Papademetriou and Will Somerville, Earned Amnesty: Bringing illegal workers out of the shadows, CentreForum (020 7340 1160)
Links: Report | CentreForum press release
Date: 2008-Sep
A report said that local councils lacked a clear understanding of different types of migrants and the nature of migrant communities. The enlargement of the European Union had created new forms of migration, for which councils should be prepared. Building strong relationships with existing migrants could provide insights into existing needs and future changes.
Source: Stephen Jeffares, Jenny Phillimore and Chris Skelcher, Governance of Migration: Strategies for European cities, Institute of Local Government Studies/University of Birmingham (0121 414 5008)
Links: Report | INLOGOV press release
Date: 2008-Aug
A trade union report said that female migrant workers might be more likely than any other group to be paid less than the national minimum wage.
Source: Hiranthi Jayaweera and Bridget Anderson, Migrant Workers and Vulnerable Employment: A review of existing data, Trades Union Congress (020 7467 1294)
Links: Report | TUC press release | Oxford University press release | Personnel Today report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Aug
The government began consultation on proposals to reform the immigration appeals process. It said that the reforms were designed to streamline the system, and reduce the amount of time taken for asylum appeals. Access to High Court judicial reviews for some failed asylum seekers would be blocked, and the cases would be heard by a tribunal instead.
Source: Immigration Appeals: Fair decisions, faster justice, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Consultation document | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Aug
The estimated number of international arrivals from outside the European common travel area rose by 5 per cent to 109.5 million in 2007. 13.4 million were estimated to be from outside the European Economic Area, a 4 per cent rise on 2006.
Source: Andrea Quattrin (ed.), Control of Immigration: Statistics – United Kingdom 2007, Statistical Bulletin 10/08, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Bulletin | Home Office press release | CIPD press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Personnel Today report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Aug
Excluding dependants, the number of asylum applications received in 2007 was 23,430, 1 per cent fewer than in 2006.
Source: Asylum Statistics: United Kingdom 2007, Statistical Bulletin 11/08, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Bulletin | Home Office press release
Date: 2008-Aug
A report examined the economic impact of migration, particularly insofar as it had been experienced in England. It highlighted a number of issues that regional, sub-regional, and local organizations needed to address if they were to promote sustainable economic competitiveness.
Source: Scott Dickinson, Grendon Thompson, Meera Prabhakar, Jennifer Hurstfield and Christine Doel, Migrant Workers: Economic issues and opportunities, SQW Consulting (020 7307 7140)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Aug
A study examined the relationship between recent immigration and social cohesion, in the context of other social and economic transformations that affected everyday life. Addressing deprivation and how people connected was more important for social cohesion than trying to get everyone to adhere to the same fixed notion of 'Britishness'.
Source: Mary Hickman, Helen Crowley and Nick Mai, Immigration and Social Cohesion in the UK: The rhythms and realities of everyday life, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | UNISON press release | NAR press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that local councils had been given insufficient money by the government to meet the cost of dealing with a rising number of migrant workers. The government's migration policy also needed to take into account the effect of migration on community cohesion.
Source: Community Cohesion and Migration, Tenth Report (Session 2007-08), HC 369, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Shelter press release | UCU press release | Liberal Democrats press release | FT report | BBC report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Jul
A report highlighted the 'extreme vulnerability' of migrant domestic workers: some were sexually and physically abused by their employers, and many were exploited and badly treated.
Source: Vanina Wittenburg with Nivedita Niyogi and Kate Roberts, The New Bonded Labour?, Oxfam GB (01865 313184)
Links: Report | Oxfam press release
Date: 2008-Jul
A report by an official advisory body called for an end to the detention of all child asylum-seekers. It said that detention was not necessary for the majority of asylum-seekers, and that it should never be used for children or pregnant women.
Source: Deserving Dignity: How to improve the way we treat people seeking sanctuary, Independent Asylum Commission (020 7043 9878)
Links: Report | IAS press release | Barnardos press release | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jul
The Draft (Partial) Immigration and Citizenship Bill was published. The Bill was designed to overhaul all immigration laws dating back to 1971, and to confirm new laws reserving full access to benefits and social housing for citizens and permanent residents. Foreign nationals wishing to became British citizens would have to earn the right to stay, by learning to speak English and obeying the law.
Source: Draft (Partial) Immigration and Citizenship Bill, Cm 7373, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Making Change Stick: An introduction to the Immigration and Citizenship Bill, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Draft Bill | Report | Hansard | Home Office press release | Liberal Democrats press release
Date: 2008-Jul
An article examined the actions and experiences of women asylum-seekers and refugees. Some women were able to draw on the resources available, and were engaged in activities that not only assisted their own settlement in the host society but also assisted the development of support structures for future arrivals of asylum-seekers and refugees.
Source: Lisa Hunt, 'Women asylum seekers and refugees: opportunities, constraints and the role of agency', Social Policy and Society, Volume 7 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Jul
A new book examined a Christian approach to the issue of asylum.
Source: Anthony Harvey, Asylum in Britain: A question of conscience, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (020 7523 2121)
Links: Text of book
Date: 2008-Jul
A study examined the impact of new migration on receiving communities in south Wales, in particular on community, integration, and cohesion. For new migrants, economic integration seemed a necessary precursor to inclusion and cohesion; those who were able to work were viewed more favourably by settled populations. But economic integration was no guarantee. Discrimination and negative media portrayals were cited as particular barriers by new migrants.
Source: Terry Threadgold et al., Immigration and Inclusion in South Wales, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release
Date: 2008-Jul
A new book examined the education, training, and employment of asylum-seekers and refugees.
Source: Jenny Phillimore and Lisa Goodson, New Migrants in the UK: Education, Training and Employment, Trentham Books (01782 745567)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Jul
A report presented findings from an in-depth study of the perspectives and experiences of children and young people arriving unaccompanied to seek asylum. The young participants spoke about their journeys and the shock of arriving in the United Kingdom; about being in care; and about their experiences of a range of health, education, social care, immigration, and legal services.
Source: Elaine Chase, Abigail Knight and June Statham, The Emotional Well-being of Young People Seeking Asylum in the UK, BAAF Adoption and Fostering (020 7593 2000)
Links: Summary | BAAF press release
Date: 2008-Jul
A House of Commons research brief reviewed evidence on the effects of immigration. Existing statistics were inadequate for properly assessing the range and depth of the effects of immigration. Local authorities, schools, and the police appeared particularly affected and were seeking extra funding. But there seemed to be an emerging consensus that the overall economic effect of migrant workers – whether positive or negative – was not likely to be large.
Source: Arabella Thorp (ed.), Impacts of Immigration, Research Paper 08/65, House of Commons Library (web publication only)
Links: HOC Library research paper
Date: 2008-Jul
A report said that the system for removing failed asylum-seekers did not meet adequate standards of humanity, effectiveness, or public confidence.
Source: Safe Return, Independent Asylum Commission (020 7043 9878)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jun
Researchers found that migrants coming to the United Kingdom from eastern Europe had not had an impact on the numbers claiming unemployment benefits, nor had a significant impact on wages.
Source: Sara Lemos and Jonathan Portes, The Impact of Migration from the New European Union Member States on Native Workers, Working Paper 52, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Paper | DWP press release | Leicester University press release | Personnel Today report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | FT report
Date: 2008-Jun
A government published a report summarizing its strategy towards migration, and the work being done on migration issues. It looked at the national context for migration and the benefits migration brought. It examined the local impacts of migration on communities and services, and set out the government's programme of existing and future work to support local government and its partners in maximizing the benefits of migration. A linked paper reviewed the existing strategic and policy framework, processes, and provisions in place or under development to support the integration of new migrants, including a feasibility study of a proposal for an Integration Agency.
Source: Managing the Impacts of Migration: A cross-government approach, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236) | Review of Migrant Integration Policy in the UK, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | Review paper | Hansard | DCLG press release | Speech | TUC press release | London Councils press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Jun
The Welsh Assembly government published a strategy for increasing support for refugees.
Source: Refugee Inclusion Strategy, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Strategy | BBC report
Date: 2008-Jun
A think-tank report said that a climate of hostility towards immigration risked harming the ability of United Kingdom companies to attract skilled, talented people from abroad.
Source: Katerina Rudiger, Towards a Global Labour Market? Globalisation and the knowledge economy, Work Foundation (0870 165 6700)
Date: 2008-Jun
The government published an action plan for enforcing immigration laws. Border Agency officers and staff would be reorganized into 70-80 local immigration teams, and given a clear mission to focus on local immigration crime.
Source: Enforcing the Deal: Our plans for enforcing the immigration laws in the United Kingdom's Communities, UK Border Agency/Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Hansard | Home Office press release | ACPO press release | REC press release | Liberal Democrats press release | FT report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-Jun
The government responded to a report by a committee of peers on the economic impact of immigration. It said that carefully controlled economic migration benefited both the economy and the exchequer.
Source: The Economic Impact of Immigration: The government reply to the First Report from the House of Lords Committee on Economic Affairs Session 2007-08, Cm 7414, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | Peers report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | FT report
Date: 2008-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs said that existing methods of estimating migration and population figures were not 'fit for purpose'.
Source: Counting the Population, Eleventh Report (Session 2007-08), HC 183, House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Statistics Authority press release | London Councils press release | BBC report | FT report
Date: 2008-May
A paper examined the growth of employment for specific country groups in comparison to the United Kingdom-born population, and described how migrant employment varied by industry, occupation, and education. The number of workers not born in the UK in January-March 2008 was 3.7 million, 12.5 per cent of total employment: people born in Europe made up the largest number of these.
Source: Gareth Clancy, Employment of Foreign Workers in the United Kingdom (1997-2008), Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Paper
Date: 2008-May
The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 was given Royal assent. The Act included measures to: end automatic sentence discounts for offenders resentenced to an indeterminate sentence after an initial sentencing decision had been ruled unduly lenient; stop the 'plainly guilty' having their convictions quashed because of procedural irregularities; give powers for courts to make dangerous offenders given a discretionary life sentence serve a higher proportion of their tariff before becoming eligible for parole consideration; and create a presumption that trials in magistrates' courts would proceed in the absence of the accused. An amendment to the Bill abolished the offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel.
Source: Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | Explanatory notes | NSS press release | BHA press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-May
A report said that there was no evidence of the so-called 'health tourist' who came to the United Kingdom seeking expensive treatment. Migrants and British citizens had similar health profiles, and migrants were no more likely to have expensive complicated medical needs than anyone else. Changes to health regulations which would prevent many migrants from getting access to the care of a family doctor would only result in greater costs, because there would be less chance of preventing diseases, less chance of early and affordable treatment of diseases (including those which were contagious), and increased pressure on already overburdened accident and emergency departments.
Source: Project London: Report and Recommendations 2007, M?decins du Monde UK (020 7515 7534)
Links: Report | MDM press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-May
The government announced (in the draft Queen's Speech) plans to introduce a Citizenship, Immigration and Borders Bill, designed to replace all existing immigration legislation with a simplified, clear, and coherent legal framework to control the country's borders, manage migration, and reform the path to citizenship.
Source: Preparing Britain for the Future: The government's draft legislative programme, Cm 7372, Office of the Leader of the House of Commons, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Draft Queens Speech | Amendments | Home Office press release | Runnymede Trust press release
Date: 2008-May
A report said that there was a 'grave misunderstanding' in the public mind about the term 'asylum', which if not addressed threatened to undermine support for the tradition of providing sanctuary to those fleeing persecution. It recommended that immediate action be taken to win long-term public support for sanctuary.
Source: Saving Sanctuary, Independent Asylum Commission (020 7043 9878)
Links: Report | CAP press release | Ekklesia press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-May
The government announced that highly skilled foreign workers hoping to fill jobs in the United Kingdom would have to meet strict new criteria. British-based companies would have to prove they could not fill skilled posts with a resident worker, and would need to prove that the vacancy had been advertised in the UK. Would-be migrants would need a job offer before they applied for a visa (unless the job was on the shortage occupation list), and would have to earn a certain number of points: these points would be awarded only if a person could prove they would be doing skilled work, spoke a good standard of English, and were earning more than £24,000, or had a good qualification. The government said that if the tightened rules had been in place in 2007, close to 10 per cent fewer skilled and temporary migrants from outside the European Economic Area would have been allowed into the country – equivalent to around 20,000 people.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 6 May 2008, columns 25-26WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Telegraph report | FT report | Guardian report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-May
A new book examined policy and practice regarding the education, training, and employment of new migrants over the age of 16; and showed how policy affected their access to appropriate services.
Source: Jenny Phillimore, Lisa Goodson and Jane Watts, New Migrants in the UK: Education, training and employment, Trentham Books (01782 745567)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-May
A report examined the needs and experiences of refugees and asylum-seekers in secondary schooling. Although young people and their families were generally satisfied with schools, the research also identified a number of barriers to inclusion. These ranged from excessive delays in finding a school place, to experience of bullying or racist attitudes, and financial constraints which made it hard for pupils to be fully integrated.
Source: Lisa Doyle and Megan McCorriston, Beyond the School Gates: Supporting refugees and asylum seekers in secondary school, Refugee Council (020 7820 3042)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-May
A paper examined the role that immigration could play in shaping Scotland's economic future. It called for a managed points-based immigration system that explicitly took into consideration economic and demographic differences between regions.
Source: Robert Wright, The Economics of New Immigration to Scotland, Occasional Paper 77, David Hume Institute (0131 667 9609)
Links: Paper
Date: 2008-Apr
A think-tank report said that about half of the people who moved to the United Kingdom from the countries that joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 had already left, and that many more would follow suit. The 'vast majority' of the migrants had come to the UK for economic reasons, but had left because they missed home or wanted to be with their friends and family.
Source: Naomi Pollard, Maria Latorre and Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Floodgates or Turnstiles? Post-EU enlargement migration flows to (and from) the UK, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Report | IPPR press release | TUC press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-Apr
A think-tank report said that high levels of immigration over the previous 10 years had been good for the economy. Both inflation and interest rates had been lower as a result, skills and labour shortages had been avoided, and the economy had been kept on a stable growth path. Even allowing for a more uncertain economic outlook, the government should embrace the case for free movement across the European Union and enable the citizens of Bulgaria and Romania to work in the United Kingdom.
Source: David Coats, Migration Myths: Employment, wages and labour market performance, Work Foundation (0870 165 6700)
Links: Link removed
Date: 2008-Apr
A report by a committee of peers said that the government had overstated the economic benefits of immigration, and should limit the number of workers entering from outside the European Union. Record levels of immigration had increased unemployment among low-paid workers and reduced training for young people, as well as contributing to rising house prices.
Source: The Economic Impact of Immigration, 1st Report (Session 2007-08), HL 82, House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Evidence | TUC press release | REC press release | FT report | BBC report | Personnel Today report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2008-Apr
The High Court ruled that regulations banning failed asylum-seekers from receiving free National Health Service treatment were unlawful.
Source: R (A) v West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, High Court 11 April 2008
Links: Text of judgement | Refugee Council press release | NAT press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Apr
Chief police officers said that although migration had led to new demands being made on the police service, the evidence did not support theories of a large-scale crime wave generated through migration.
Source: Press release 16 April 2008, Association of Chief Police Officers (020 7084 8950)
Links: ACPO press release | TUC press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report (1) | Telegraph report (2) | FT report
Date: 2008-Apr
The initial findings of research suggested that there was no evidence that social housing allocation in England and Wales favoured foreign migrants over United Kingdom citizens. New migrants to the UK over the previous five years had made up around 3 per cent of the total population, but less than 2 per cent of the total of those in social housing. 90 per cent of those in social housing were UK-born.
Source: Press release 9 April 2008, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000) and Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: LGA press release | Letter | Inside Housing report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Apr
The High Court ruled that changes made by the government in November 2006 to the 'highly skilled migrant programme' were unfair, because they meant foreign workers already in the United Kingdom under the programme were effectively required to reapply under the tougher rules.
Source: HSMP Forum Ltd, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, High Court 8 April 2008
Links: Text of judgement | Liberal Democrats press release | Personnel Today report | Guardian report | BBC report | Telegraph report | FT report
Date: 2008-Apr
A report said that hundreds of women were subjected to violence from which they were unable to escape, because of their immigration status. They had become trapped in a cycle of abuse, including domestic violence and trafficking, unable to access basic levels of protection and support.
Source: 'No Recourse', No Safety: The government's failure to protect women from violence, Amnesty International UK (020 7814 6241) and Southall Black Sisters
Links: Report | Amnesty press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Mar
A report estimated that 812,000 highly skilled migrants would be working in the United Kingdom by 2012, an increase of 14 per cent over existing levels – contributing £77 billion to the economy.
Source: Future Flows: Forecasting the current and future economic impact of highly skilled migrants, Centre for Economic and Business Research (020 7324 2850)
Links: Report | Personnel Today report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Mar
An independent report said that the treatment of asylum-seekers fell 'seriously below' the standards of a civilised society.
Source: Fit For Purpose Yet? The Independent Asylum Commission's interim findings, Independent Asylum Commission (020 7043 9878)
Links: Report | Refugee Action press release | CAP press release | Evangelical Alliance press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Mar
The government published a Green Paper on the process by which foreign nationals obtained British citizenship. It said that people who wanted to make the United Kingdom their home should 'speak English, pay their way, obey the law, and give something back to their community'. There would be a three-stage route to citizenship, including a new probationary period of citizenship, requiring new migrants to demonstrate their contribution to the UK at every stage – or leave the country. Full access to welfare benefits would be delayed until migrants had completed the probationary period.
Source: The Path to Citizenship: Next steps in reforming the immigration system, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links:Green Paper | PM speech | Hansard | Home Office press release | LGA press release | Ekklesia press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Telegraph report | FT report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Feb
The number of people who applied for asylum in 2007 was 23,430. This was 0.7 per cent lower than in 2006), and the lowest level for 14 years.
Source: Asylum Statistics: 4th Quarter 2007 – United Kingdom, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Refugee Council press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-Feb
An article examined the experiences of new European immigrants (from Albania, Bulgaria, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Ukraine) in the United Kingdom labour market, in relation to their education and training at home, as well as the extent of occupational mobility within the UK. There were no signs of heavy competition for jobs between the immigrants and long-term residents. Labour shortages appeared to remain, with East Europeans reporting low levels of unemployment and long-term residents reporting little antipathy towards newcomers.
Source: Eugenia Markova and Richard Black, 'The experiences of "new" East European immigrants in the UK labour market', Benefits, Volume 16 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Feb
A trade union report highlighted the gap between the contribution made by migrant workers to the economy and the contribution they could make if their skills and qualifications were recognized by employers.
Source: Miguel Martinez Lucio et al., Migrant Workers in the Labour Market, Trades Union Congress (020 7467 1294)
Links: TUC press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2008-Feb
A report examined the problems faced by migrant workers in Wales, and the steps that trade unions could take to help tackle them.
Source: Victoria Winckler, One Workforce: Migrant workers in Wales – A trade union report, Wales TUC (029 2034 7010)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Feb
A report examined housing and migration issues. Only 1 per cent of council or housing association accommodation had been allocated to recent immigrants from the new European Union countries; 90 per cent of these immigrants were renting from private landlords.
Source: Joanne Roney, Housing Report to the Migration Impacts Forum, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jan
The government published (following consultation) a package of measures which it said would ensure that children in the immigration system were dealt with 'humanely and compassionately'. Children would be placed with specialist local authorities outside of London and the south east. Those denied the right to stay would be deported before they reached the age of 18. The government began consultation on a code of practice.
Source: Better Outcomes: The Way Forward – Improving the care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children, Border and Immigration Agency/Home Office (0870 000 1585) | Code of Practice for Keeping Children Safe from Harm: Consultation, Border and Immigration Agency/Home Office
Links: Report | Consultation document | Hansard | Home Office press release | Refugee Council press release | Community Care report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jan
An independent report made recommendations for improving race relations practices in immigration detention centres (following allegations of racist treatment in a BBC programme).
Source: Focus Consultancy Limited, Report on an Announced Race Relations Audit of the Border and Immigration Agency Detention Estate, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jan
A report said that an estimated 100,000 vulnerable children were condemned to a childhood of poverty, uncertainty, and fear after being caught up in an asylum backlog that might not be cleared until 2011.
Source: John Reacroft, Like Any Other Child? Children and families in the asylum process, Barnardo's (01268 520224)
Links: Summary | Barnardo's press release | Refugee Council press release | TUC press release | Personnel Today report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jan
A study examined the issues and concerns that older refugees raised about their circumstances and daily lives in the United Kingdom – about their social isolation and aspirations to integrate into their local communities and wider society, and about the importance of being able to claim rights/entitlements and access to good-quality services appropriate to their needs.
Source: Naomi Connelly et al., Older Refugees in the UK: A literature review and interviews with refugees, Age Concern England (020 8765 7200), Refugee Council and Association of Greater London Women
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Jan
The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill was given a third reading. The Bill included measures to: end automatic sentence discounts for offenders re-sentenced to an indeterminate sentence after an initial sentencing decision had been ruled unduly lenient; stop the 'plainly guilty' having their convictions quashed because of procedural irregularities; give powers for courts to make dangerous offenders given a discretionary life sentence serve a higher proportion of their tariff before becoming eligible for parole consideration; and create a presumption that trials in magistrates' courts would proceed in the absence of the accused.
Source: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 9 January 2008, columns 325-489, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2008-Jan
An article examined the human capacity and personal characteristics that had an impact on refugee employment. The greatest difference in employment was between men and women, although English language fluency and training were also very important. Strategies needed to focus on individual employability as well as measures to overcome personal and structural barriers to the labour market.
Source: Alice Bloch, 'Refugees in the UK labour market: the conflict between economic integration and policy-led labour market restriction', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 37 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Jan