http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?id=10738
Britain tightens immigration policy ISN SECURITY WATCH (09/02/05) - The British government has announced plans to tighten immigration controls and allow only skilled foreigners workers who speak English to obtain permanent residency in the country. British Home Secretary Charles Clarke on Monday presented a five-year plan for immigration and asylum to the House of Commons, according to which qualified immigrants, such as doctors and engineers, would be favored to enter and permanently live in the country, The Associated Press reported. The plan aims to control the number of non-European immigrants seeking a better life in Britain. The government would also limit the number of dependents who could join a migrant worker in Britain and scrap the automatic right to permanent residency for people who have lived in Britain for four years. "This country needs migration. Tourists, students, and migrant workers make a vital contribution to the UK economy. But we need to ensure that we let in migrants with the skills and talents to benefit Britain, while stopping those trying to abuse our hospitality and place a burden on our society," Clarke said. Under the proposals, only skilled workers able to support themselves financially could apply to stay permanently. They would be required to live in Britain for five years and have the capacity to speak and write in English. Asylum seekers would be granted only temporary permission to stay in the country, until it was safe to return to their homelands. Authorities would also fingerprint all foreigners applying for visas to stop them from remaining in Britain once their permits expired. The proposals put forward by the government of Prime Minister Tony Blair are being viewed by observers as a bid to out maneuver the Conservatives and appear tough on the issue, at a time when the country is preparing for national elections in May. The proposed plan is also part of EU-wide efforts to deal with illegal immigration and build a common EU policy on immigration and asylum, which would be set up by 2010. The EU aims to create common legal migration standards, which would include rules for rejecting asylum seekers and introducing a green card system modeled on the US system and aimed at attracting skilled workers. Other EU countries have also announced similar restrictions on immigration. Last month, Germany began applying a new law to encourage more highly qualified immigrants, who are now obliged to take government-funded German-language and civics courses or risk losing state benefits. Last week, the Dutch government launched a proposal to set up Dutch-language courses for foreigners who seeking permanent residence in the country. The proposals come as news studies warn that European nations are aging because of low birth rates, threatening shortfalls in labor in the coming decades. (By Ekrem Krasniqi in Brussels) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
