UK Immigration News

A recent report based on the 9 to 20th February 2015 unannounced inspection of Dungavel immigration removal centre in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, has raised concerns over detention times. Although the facility was found to be safe, well-operated and treating its 249 detainees well, inspectors said that case work delays were leading to the lengthy detention of vulnerable asylum seekers.

Britain and France have struck a deal to remove illegal immigrants from Calais, returning them to West Africa. UK Home Secretary, Theresa May revealed the plans at the same time as announcing that the UK will inject £7 million into security at a Eurotunnel terminal.

Mrs May described the deal as an 'important step forward.' Following a meeting with the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, she announced fresh plans to repatriate illegal immigrants who are currently setting up temporary camps in their thousands outside the port of Calais.

Recent restrictions to the Tier 4 Visa should come as no surprise. Previously in a speech from UK business secretary, Sajid Javid, on July 10 he said that the UK visa system will not be loosened for international students, despite experts saying that doing so would improve Britain's slowing productivity. In fact the opposite is now happening. It is becoming more difficult for Tier 4 visa students to study in the UK.

According to the Road Haulage Association (RHA), businesses are potentially losing £1 billion worth of goods every year because of the actions of illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel into the UK. The RHA says that migrants stowing away in trucks are damaging goods, leaving companies with no choice but to destroy cargoes because they cannot take the risk of delivering contaminated goods.

More non EU/EEA Tier 4 students International students will be banned from working in the UK while they study. Many Tier 4 students will be forced to leave the country when their studies finish under tough new rules to be outlined next week. There are significant immigration rule changes for Tier 4 students at publicly funded further education colleges; They will be treated in a similar way to those at privately funded further education colleges. University students will not be so badly effected. Many of the changes will take place in August and November this year.

The tougher approach towards immigration in Britain is impacting on the country's image around the globe.

The Migrant Integration Policy Index is a ranking system that looks at the commitment of countries to the integration of its legal migrants; Britain has fallen 5 places in the last 5 years. The 2015 edition of the Migrant Integration Policy Index, published on June 30, by MIPEX, ranks Britain 15th overall. In 2010, the country ranked 10th.