Visa deal to speed return of migrants to India
05 May 2021
Andrew Woodcock,
The Independent
A new system of work visas for young Indian professionals in the UK risks fuelling discrimination against Indian nationals already in the country, while creating a new group of future undocumented migrants, campaigners have warned.
The Migration and Mobility Partnership signed by home secretary Priti Patel and Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will allow 18 to 30 year-olds to work or study in the UK for up to 24 months, while accelerating the process of deporting Indian nationals deemed to be in the UK illegally.
Ms Patel said the deal would help the UK to attract the “brightest and best talent” from overseas, while allowing immigration authorities to “crack down” on those abusing the system.
A letter sent to Priti Patel, seen exclusively by The Independent, has urged the Home Secretary not to implement plans that the government has described as ‘the biggest overhaul of the UK’s asylum system in decades’. The letter claims that the recently unveiled ‘New Plan for UK Immigration’ will have ‘devastating’ repercussions on women fleeing gender-based violence.
The letter described how women escaping ‘horrific’ abuse are already being failed by the current UK asylum system. The letter, signed by leading charities across the UK, states that women are forced to endure ‘disbelief, detention and destitution’ and that Patel’s plans would further exacerbate the situation.
Priti Patel’s proposed ‘New Plan for UK Immigration’ has been branded ‘vague, cruel, unworkable and potentially unlawful’ by immigration and human rights groups. The plan is currently under consultation and welcoming feedback, but activists have described the government consultation as ‘a sham’ and a ‘thinly-veiled public relations exercise’.
Pro-immigration and human rights campaigners have also claimed that the consultation is designed to ‘lead people to endorse the proposals’. Under the new plans, Patel is seeking to deny refugees who arrive in Britain illegally the automatic right to asylum in the UK. Instead, she wants them to be regularly reassessed for removal and have limited access to benefits.
One man s journey from Uganda to Leicester in 1970 which left him stateless in Yugoslavia
Ramnik Varu, 75, arrived in Leicester in 1970 at the age of 22 after losing his job in Uganda
Updated
Ramnik Varu arrived in Leicester in 1970 at the age of 22 after a long journey with five friends that left them stranded in Yugoslavia (Image: Asha Patel)
Subscribe to our nostalgia newsletter today for weekly updates on our best historical stories, straight to your inbox. It s completely free.Invalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Subscribe
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Your information will be used in accordance with ourPrivacy Notice.