UK Immigration News

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It has long been known that London is a magnet for Russian dissidents and billionaires. For that matter, London and the United Kingdom have been the destination of the elite and the wealthy for centuries.

Regulations have been approved by the UK Parliament to manage the flow of new workers into the United Kingdom from Romania and Bulgaria. Both nations are set to join the European Union on 01 January 2007, forming the EU-27.

This follows a decision by the Home Office on 24 October to put transitional arrangements in place for Bulgaria and Romania while UK continues immigration reform efforts and analysis of the wider ramifications of an expanded EU.

As of October, the quota of 1,110 permits for the Food Manufacturing (Meat) sector and the quota of 203 permits for the Food Manufacturing (Fish) sector have been reached. No further first applications for these sectors will be considered. The plan was to close the programme by 31 December or when all quotas were reached.

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While not a new concept, a report released 11 December 2006 from researchers linked to the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England, says that immigrants in the UK contribute very significantly to the health of the UK economy.

It is generally acknowledged that immigrants pay far more into social services than they get back out of it. It is, in fact, one of the driving philosophies of the "managed immigration" system: the pensioner-age population of the UK (and many other westernized economies) require the young, productive workers that immigrate to provide the cash to keep benefits paid for.

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The Immigration and Nationality Directorate plans to release new rules for people wishing to make the United Kingdom their home. The new rules will require applicants to show that they have a sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK in order to qualify for settlement.