UK Immigration News

A man who has lived for more than a year at Nairobi's international airport to protest being denied entry to Britain has finally been granted U.K. citizenship and plans to fly there within days.

In a real-life African version of Tom Hanks' 2004 Hollywood hit "The Terminal," Sanjai Shah, 43, has been eating cafeteria food, sleeping on plastic transit lounge chairs, and showering in arrival hall toilets since May 2004.

His morning alarm is the dawn announcement advising the safe landing of the first flight.

A new UK visa application centre will open in Chittagong, Bangladesh on 3 July, bringing a total of three application centres across Bangladesh.

The service will be limited to those applicants who qualify for fast-track 'Visa Express' or 'Student Express' services. These applicants will be able to lodge their applications at the new centre from 3 July 2005. Interviews, if necessary, will continue to held at the British High Commission in Dhaka.

Other applicants should use the application centres in Dhaka and Sylhet.

The man behind the US Greencard system is advising the Irish government to introduce the opportunity of permanent residence for immigrants.

Bruce Morrison, a former US Congressman, says immigrants should not be admitted on a temporary work permit basis, when they intend to settle in Ireland.

He was speaking at a forum hosted by the Immigrant Council of Ireland in response to the government`s draft legislation on immigration.

Mr Morrison says temporary permits are unrealistic.

The UK Immigration Service has decided to use the latest iris scanning technology to provide a faster, more convenient way to clear immigration. Called"IRIS" (an abbreviation for Iris Recognition Immigration System), the new technology works by taking a picture of the individual's unique iris pattern, in order to speed up identification at the port of entry and thereby reduce passenger queuing.

Scotland, a country of some five million people, is actively seeking a flow of Fresh Talent. It is hoped that the new immigrants will flourish alongside native-born Scots and help Scotland secure its place as an essential part of the global economy.

The UK government's new immigration bill released last week does not include a points system for immigration. Although ministers want a points system for economic migrants that would grant visas on the basis of skills, the details will be put out for consultation later in the summer. The scheme does not require a law change so is not included in the bill.