UK Immigration News

Teachers of English as a foreign language are welcoming changes to the immigration rules announced by the UK's immigration minister last month. On 6th September 2013, Mark Harper issued a statement outlining a range of changes to the rules among which was a new provision allowing people in the UK on visitor visas to carry out short courses of study.

As of 1st October 2013, visitors to the UK on business, family or general visitor visas have been allowed to attend short English language courses lasting up to 30 days.

Diane Abbott, the long-serving Labour MP, has criticised her party for 'pandering to anti-immigrant sentiment'. Ms Abbott had just been sacked from the Labour front bench team where she had served as a shadow health minister from 2010.

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that an advertising campaign run by the UK government telling illegal immigrants to 'go home or face arrest' was not offensive or irresponsible. The ASA ruled however that the adverts were misleading because of an incorrect use of statistical information.

The advertising campaign was launched as a pilot scheme by the Home Office in six London boroughs on 22nd July 2013 and quickly became controversial.

The UK's Home Secretary, the cabinet minister with responsibility for internal affairs and the country's immigration system, has said that the government will reform the country's immigration tribunals and appeals system to make it easier to deport people.

She said that there are currently seventeen ways in which you can oppose deportation from the UK. She said that she would close down all but four of these. She added that those fighting deportation would no longer receive state funding for their legal representation.

The UK's Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, has said that the UK has no intention of granting an amnesty to illegal immigrants currently in the country. She says that this would 'send out the wrong message'.

Ed Miliband, the leader of the UK's opposition Labour Party has promised to cut immigration to the UK in the event that he becomes Prime Minister at the next election in 2015. He has also promised to require British firms that employ non-EU workers to set up apprenticeship schemes. Over all, his proposals do not seem to introduce any major change.