Immigration news

An NHS trust has apologised for charging ‘overseas’ patients for healthcare in accordance with UK immigration rules. Lewisham and Greenwich NHS trust (LGT) said it was ‘sorry for any instances where people weren’t treated with compassion or in a way that was consistent with the values of the trust.

 

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that a proposed US visa restriction on international students and journalists by the former Trump administration has been revoked. The proposed restriction would have reduced US visa durations for international students and journalists to four-year terms.

 

UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, will push ahead with plans to block access to UK visas for countries who refuse to take back asylum seekers. The plans, first mooted in March 2021, are set to be launched under the new Nationality and Borders Bill, which will also give UK Border Force staff the power to turn away small boats filled with migrants crossing the Channel.

 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, says continued US visa restrictions imposed on students from China are the ‘continuation of an evil legacy’ from the Trump administration. Zhao’s remarks came during a routine press conference when responding to an open letter sent by more than 500 Chinese students to the Chinese Embassy in the US. 

 

Trade Union, Unite, which protects worker rights, equality and diversity in the workplace is urging the UK government not to issue European lorry drivers with temporary UK visas to plug chronic HGV driver shortages. Instead, the union has urged the logistics industry to increase driver pay rates to solve the crisis, according to a MotorTransport report.

 

According to a report published by The Guardian, six million applications made by EU citizens for UK permanent residency doesn’t means that six million EU nationals are currently living in the UK. Workpermit.com recently reported that more than six million EU citizens had applied for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) following the 30 June deadline.