UK Immigration News

On 21st May 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act will come intoforce. It grants the right of citizenship to all inhabitants of Britain'soverseas territories and formally abolishes the term 'colony'.

It allow those people who were British Dependent citizens to live, train andwork in Britain, or anywhere else in the European Union.

Many of the inhabitants had full British citizenship before 1981, when theConservative government took the right away from all dependent territories inorder to stop residents of Hong Kong moving to Britain prior to being handedover to China.

The Agreement between the European Community and its Member States and theSwiss Confedeartion on the Free Movement of Persons, will enter into force on 1May 2002. In general terms the Agreement confers on Swiss nationals and theirfamily members the same rights as those enjoyed by EEA nationals and theirfamily members

"The Home Office has announced that as from 1st June 2002 Swissnationals and their family will have a right of residence in the United Kingdomif they are working, self employed, providing or receiving services, studying orself sufficient.

On Friday 12th April 2002, The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, publisheda package of measures to crack down on illegal immigrants to the UK and on UKemployers who hire workers illegally.

Powers to stop illegal working will be strengthened in the Nationality,Immigration and Asylum bill. They include measures to "compel"employers hiring cash-in-hand workers to cooperate.

The British Government recognises that there is an acute shortage of teachersin the UK. To make it easier to employ teachers from 1 April 2002 to 31 December2002 it will be possible for teacher agencies to apply for work permits. This is a very important concession byWork Permits UK the Government Department that deals with work permits, andcould mean that in future other types of agencies are also permitted to applyfor work permits.

The British Government has revised the Information Technology occupationsthat it regards as being in short supply in the UK.

The following occupations are not required to be advertised in either anational newspaper or a recognised IT trade journal. All other IT positions mustbe advertised to show that the British employer has attempted to recruit withinthe UK.

For jobs which are listed below the person must have the relevant skills andexperience listed on the linked annex as well as having either a relevant degree or a degree with at least 12months relevant work experience

MAJOR CHANGES TO UK IMMIGRATION LAWS ANNOUNCED IN "WHITE PAPER".

The home secretary David Blunkett's white paper, "Secure Borders, SafeHaven", was released on Thursday 7th February.

It is a wide ranging document dealing with how economic migrants, asylumseekers and new citizens would be dealt with.

The white paper's main proposals are: