Immigration news

The UK is set to launch what have been described as the ‘most generous’ visa schemes yet in an effort to attract the world’s most talented individuals. First announced during UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak’s budget unveiling in 2021, the UK scale-up visa and high potential individual visa are set to open for applications in the Spring of 2022.

 

As the world responds to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by taking in refugees affected by the conflict, two former US immigration officials have urged the Biden administration to grant TPS to Ukrainian nationals forced to flee their homeland. 

 

UK immigration minister, Kevin Foster, has been blasted for suggesting that Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of their homeland should ‘apply for work visas’ to enter the UK. The Torbay MP and Home Office minister posted on Twitter that there are ‘a number of UK visa routes available to Ukrainians, including the seasonal worker visa’.

 

The Biden administration has been urged by Democratic lawmakers to reduce the number of immigrants subjected to a controversial US immigration surveillance program, while also calling for a rethink of the US government’s exclusive contract with the private company managing the program.

 

Please note: This report contains defamatory comments that some readers may find upsetting. Claims have emerged that a Home Office UK immigration contractor failed to investigate racist messages sent by its staff. Mitie, which is contracted by the Home Office to escort and deport immigrants, reportedly failed to investigate allegations of racist WhatsApp messages, first reported by the Sunday Mirror, sent by the firm’s immigration staff.

 

Concerns are growing over the state of the US immigration court system amid increasing case backlogs and staff shortages. A report published by The Guardian claims that America’s immigration courts are ‘struggling to function at the most basic level’. Meanwhile, figures show that the backlog of cases now stands at more than 1.6 million.