Seraphus blog

X-Rays of Children

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-04-12T12:02:29+01:00

The UK Border Agency are planning to restart x-rays of child asylum seekers in order to establish their age. This process was originally dropped over three years ago due to the health risks of those being screened.

Upon this announcement the medical profession, immigration lawyers, and the UK children's commissioner objected to the re-start of this process. The children's commissions said that this is 'a clear breach of the rights of vulnerable children and young people and may, in fact, be illegal'. It was also said that to x-ray children in such circumstances might also constitute assault.

The medical profession warned against the use of checks involving potential harm from ionising radiation when there was no intention of clinical benefits. Also, the scientific evidence suggests that it is difficult, sometimes impossible, to determine the child's age from an x-ray.

Alison Harvey, general secretary of the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association, said in a letter to the Border Agency: "Age is disputed with a frequency that gives rise to the most grave concerns, and despite official acknowledgement that you cannot date-stamp a child, the Home Office continues to pursue the chimera of certainty in this area, to the most grave detriment of children who are subjected to doubt, to disbelief, detention and denial of services and now, it is proposed, to irradiation."

More when we have it.

UKBA Change of Address

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-04-05T12:58:25+01:00

The UKBA are providing a facility whereby individuals, and their legal representatives, are able update contact details online via their website.

This facility is only available for those living in the UK or for those whose applications were made in the UK. The UKBA will send an acknowledgement of receipt and, so long as further information is not required, will update their records within 72 hours.

This facility can be found by clicking here.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill: Update

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-03-23T13:34:02+00:00

The Bill continues its passage through the House of Lords with the Third Reading scheduled for 27 March 2012. Following this reading the Bill will be discussed between the House of Commons and the House of Lords during which both Houses will try to settle some of the disputes.

Focusing on immigration legal aid, the amendments so far include:

to make a provision for legal aid for victims of trafficking for immigration and damages / compensation against traffickers;
to include power for the Government to bring back, or add new, areas of legal aid scope back into the bill;
to provide legal aid for exceptional cases where it is necessary to prevent specific injustice;
to retain legal aid for child / vulnerable young people in proceedings including immigration;
to retain legal aid for applications based on Article 2 of the ECHR;

The timetable for settling disputes will be mid-April. After which the Government will ignore everything that the House of Lords tabled and go approve the Bill without any amendments.

More when we have it!

Tier 1 Post Study Work

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-03-21T10:31:30+00:00

The Home Secretary announced the most recent Statement of Changes in the Immigration Rules. That Statement confirmed the Tier 1 Post-Study Work route will close on 06 April 2012. Any applications received by the UK Border Agency before that date will remain valid and will be considered under the Post-Study Work rules.

The Government justified this change by pointing to the difficulties UK national graduates are having when trying to access the labour market, and that any available vacancies should be priorities for them. Perhaps feeling a little guilty about these changes, the Government also introduced a new Tier 1 route for graduate entrepreneurs, commencing on 06 April 2012, and new provisions for graduates who have an offer for a skilled job to switch into Tier 2, also commencing on 06 April 2012.

If you are unsure how these changes will affect you please do not hesitate to contact us.

Biometric Cards for Asylum Claims

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-03-16T16:52:47+00:00

Those granted leave as a result of a successful asylum claim will start receiving Biometric Residence Cards. Currently such cards are issued for European nationals, and those on work or student permits.

The biometric data will be taken as early as possible during the asylum claim. The idea is that these details will be taken while the applicant’s claim is under consideration to ensure that, as far as possible, when a decision is made on a case, the UKBA is able to serve the BRP with the other grant documentation.

The requirement to enrol for the biometric will be explained at the asylum interview and the applicant will be given a letter explaining how to have the biometrics taken at a Front Office Service, usually a Post Office.

This requirement is also being rolled out for anyone now applying for a Refugee Travel Document. There is a fee, in addition to the travel document fee, when applying for the BRP at this stage.

Unaccompanied children returned from the UK to France

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-02-27T09:45:27+00:00

Maggie Atkinson, Children's Commissioner for England, revealed that the UK Border Agency have been returning unaccompanied children to France. This occurred within 24 hours of arrival and to those who did not register an asylum claim on entry. Once returned to France, there is little or no administrative trace of the children.

She went on to reveal that this was detailed in a document entitled the 'Gentleman’s Agreement’ by UKBA staff as part of a pack providing details of the policies and procedures guiding the operations around entry. The policy has been operational between April 1995 and August 2011 and was ended due to the intervention of Atkinson.

It doesn't sound very gentlemanly to us.

For further information click here.

Israel to detain people entering the country irregularly for up to 3 years, or more

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-02-14T09:44:07+00:00

Israel to detain people entering the country irregularly for up to 3 years, or more

The Israeli Parliament passed a bill authorising the detention of anyone who enters the territory without prior permission. The detention can last up to 3 years. If the Israeli authorities believe a person is from a country it considers to be a source of anti-Israel terrorism, detention can be longer than three years.

Amnesty International's Interim Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Ann Harrison commented that “Israel has the right to protect its borders, but it does not have the right to abandon its international human rights obligations to asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants, or to criminalise them as ‘infiltrators’, which only fuels xenophobia and discrimination.”

For further information click here.

Poland's Forward Thinking: Documenting the Undocumented

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-03-14T09:43:06+00:00

The Polish government are documenting undocumented migrants. This policy applies to undocumented immigrants who have uninterruptedly resided in Poland since at least 20 December 2007 and to asylum seekers who were denied refugee status before 1 January 2010.

The documents provide for 2 years residence including a right to work. Legalising the immigrants' stay will benefit the Polish economy by turning them into taxpayers, said a pragmatic and realistic Rafal Rogala, Head of the Immigration Office in the Ministry of Interior.

A very realistic and, in the current economic climate, beneficial approach to all. It's a shame other countries do not follow this approach.

Greece: New Asylum Services

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-03-13T19:55:59+00:00

The Greek government has established three new asylum services - the Initial Reception Service, the Asylum Service and the Appeals Authority.

Their new Initial Reception Services is established to provide services to third country nationals who are arrested due to illegal entry or stay in Greece, under conditions that guarantee human dignity and their rights. The services includes identification, registration, medical screening and support, advice on their rights and entitlements, and the referral of vulnerable persons.

The Asylum Service will receive asylum seekers and decide their cases. The Appeals Authority aim to overcome the shortcomings of the past which has resulted in criticisms from both the domestic and the international community.

More when we have it.

Forced Returns of Tamils to Sri Lanka

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-03-02T17:39:55+00:00

The Human Rights Watch has asked the UK government to halt deportations of Tamil asylum seekers to Sri Lanka. The UK Border Agency's Operational Guidance Note fails to make reference to the return of Tamils despite accepting torture is widespread. Those individuals forcibly removed on passenger flights are not met by British Embassy staff and their situation thereafter is not monitored.

The Human Rights Watch documented eight recent cases of arrest, severe torture, rape and interrogation upon return, supported by medical evidence. Following this report Freedom of Torture also called on the UK government to stop all forcible removals of Tamils to Sri Lanka.

A copy of the Human Rights Watch report can be found here.

Closure of Tehran visa application centre: alternative arrangements

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-01-27T16:37:50+00:00

Due to ongoing tensions between the UK and Iran, the visa application centre at the British Embassy in Tehran is closed until further notice.

The UK Border Agency will be contacting visa applicants who submitted an application in Tehran up to 29 November 2011 (inclusive) who have not yet received decisions or updates on their case. All original documents should have been returned to visa applicants, if not further enquiries should be directed to the Iranian authorities (as the UK Border Agency would have returned them to the original issuing authority - how that works for refugee family reunion applications we do not know).

Iranian nationals wishing to submit an application for a visit visa only can do so at any visa application centre worldwide. Iranian nationals, who normally live in Iran, may submit applications for all visa categories at the following visa application centres in the UAE and Turkey:

United Arab Emirates - Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Turkey - Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and Gaziantep

Applications should still be submitted online and attendance at the visa application centres is by pre-booked online appointment only. It is mandatory for visa applicants in Turkey to pay for their applications online.

The UK Border Agency have said that it is not possible to process visa applications within their published customer service standards.

More when we have it.

UKBA Language Analysis in asylum cases. UKBA Language Analysis in Asylum Cases

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-01-13T17:36:57+00:00

Dr John Campbell, Head of Department of Sociology an Anthropology, School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS] produced a report concerning the UK Border Agency's [UKBA] use of Language Analysis in asylum cases.

The UKBA states that the purpose of their analysis is to properly determine the place of origin for asylum seekers. Dr Campbell spent time examining the process, the procedures, as well as linguists' claims of being experts.

Dr Campbell concludes that the process is not objective and is fundamentally political. It is based on flawed assumptions about language, and on subjective, rather than objective, criteria. There is also very little empirical evidence to support language analysis.

It is an invaluable read for anyone dealing with asylum cases. The full report can be found here.

Undocumented migrants keep on facing obstacles to access basic rights and justice

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2012-01-11T12:38:36+00:00

The European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) published a new report entitled “Fundamental rights of migrants in an irregular situation in the European Union which argues that, “while EU Member States have a right to control immigration, non-compliance with migration regulations cannot deprive migrants in an irregular situation of certain basic rights to which they are entitled as human beings”.

FRA Director Morten Kjaerum said, “We employ irregular migrants as cheap domestic workers to clean our homes. We eat the fruits and vegetables that they pick. But despite their contribution to our societies, when irregular migrants try to access healthcare or education services, or try to seek justice in case of abuse, they often face a closed door or, worse, deportation. Human rights belong to all human beings. And we remain human beings even if we do not have a passport, or a visa or a residence permit.”

A recent course by given by Raza Husain QC at Matrix Chambers explained how EEA law may be relied upon to safeguard those rights.

Christmas and New Years

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-12-23T16:47:19+00:00

Seraphus wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope that you all have a wonderful 2012. We’ll see you there!

The photograph is from our good friend suphakit73.

English Language Requirement for Family Members

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-12-16T15:13:13+00:00

The legal challenge against the English language requirement supported by Liberty and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants in the case of R(Chapti) v SSHD [2011] EWHC 3370 (Admin) 16 December 2011 failed.

Permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal was granted. The court however did decide that Article 8 (family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights will always be engaged in cases involving the refusal of entry clearance/leave to remain applications involving spouses. Also, it may be arguable that the English language requirement would be a disproportionate interference in that Article 8 protection but it will depend on the individual facts of each case.

More when we have it.

Campaign to end detention of refugee and asylum-seeking children

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-12-16T13:22:55+00:00

A campaign to urge States to pledge to end the detention of refugee and asylum-seeking children took place during a Ministerial meeting of UN Member States 7 – 8 December. Those involved in the campaign includes 50 NGOs including ECRE Members, national Amnesty International sections and IDC Members in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and Poland.

Unsurprisingly, the UK government does not support the campaign.

All those that do firmly believe that children, and in particular unaccompanied or separated children, should never be detained solely for immigration purposes given that immigration detention cannot be said to be in their best interests.

The campaign continues.

Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre Closure

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-12-15T12:33:11+00:00

Lindholme IRC, located approximately 10 miles north of Doncaster, is part of Lindholme Prison and is run by the Prison Service. The UK Border Agency leased the centre in 2000 in order to detain adult males over the age of 21. Following a request by the Prison Service for the UK Border Agency return Lindholme IRC back to them a managed reduction in the numbers of detainees will take place during a wind-down of the centre. The aim is to close the centre by 31 January 2012.

Detainees will not be released, but will instead be transferred to other centres.

Justice Hale on the Legal Aid Cuts

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-12-13T14:19:20+00:00

Brenda Hale, Justice of the Supreme Court of the UK, gave a opening speech at the Law Centres Federation Annual Conference 2011 which she used as platform to advise against the upcoming legal aid cuts.

She explained that the adversarial legal system that we have relies on the parties to the proceedings to present and prepare their own case. She highlighted the constitutional principle of access to justice and that legal aid is service which the state owes to its citizens as a matter of principle.

There was also the false economy argument, in that by continuing to provide legal aid allows a little advice to solve an individual’s problem(s) at the earliest opportunity without the need for court intervention. A few letters and a bit of advice can also save the government potentially more money than they are trying to save with the legal aid cuts as it avoids further issues developing. For example, a person with employment issues, if left unresolved, would then have housing and debt issues. By solving the employment issues it prevents those secondary issues developing.

The government accepts that the cuts will have a disproportionate impact upon women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities - therefore they accept that it will hit the poorest and most vulnerable in society.

This is just a brief summary of Justice Hale’s speech. As I have no why given her speech the justice it deserves click here to read it in full.

Seraphus' Insurance

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-10-17T10:03:34+01:00

Our indemnity insurance is now provided by Alpha Insurance of . The policy number is 11SOL13549-41462-10924A11. The insurance was placed by Towergate Risk Solutions. Click here for further information.

The boy Mir

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-14T09:11:59+01:00

The Royal Geographical Society are screening a movie called ‘The Boy Mir’ on Wednesday, 28 September 2011. The film follows Mir’s real life story in Afghanistan over the last 10 years, starting at 8 years old. The screening on Wednesday is the UK premier, and doors open at 6:30 pm with the screening commencing at 7:00 pm.

For more details and for the box office click here.

Tier 4 Sponsors, Highly Trusted Sponsorship Guidance

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-12T13:42:30+01:00

On 18 July 2011 the UKBA published proposed criteria to become a Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) under Tier 4. Following comments on that proposal the UKBA published new guidance covering:

Sponsorship, including the date by which sponsors must apply for HTS;
What happens to those sponsors who don't apply for HTS, or who fail;
Details of the transitional arrangements;
Details of the educational oversight of the HTS;
Reducing the sponsor ratings to 'A' and 'Highly Trusted'.

Sponsors who need to apply to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) must have done so by Friday 9 September 2011 otherwise they can no longer sponsor new students.

Details of the guidance can be found on the UKBA website by clicking here.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-08T20:06:55+01:00

The Legal Aid Bill aims to cut funding to legal aid and for some areas, such as immigration cases, remove funding for them completely. The Bill went through the Public Bill Committee on 06 September 2011.

There was no discussions relating to the removal of funding for immigration cases, and it appears that many want to avoid the word 'immigration' completely. That said, there was acceptance that there may be 'advice deserts' where some areas will have no to specialist lawyers. The closure of the RMJ and the IAS were highlighted as examples of that.

The Minister pointed out that immigration tribunals 'are designed to be user-friendly and interpreters are provided free of charge' as a way of countering the restriction to legal aid in such cases. He went on to make a point that legal aid will be retained for 'domestic violence immigration cases, cases before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and immigration detention cases, including advocacy before the tribunal.'

The full debate and written submissions from concerned organisations, individuals and companies can be found here.

Also, if you're interested how a bill for a new law, or a proposal to change an existing law, is presented for debate click here.

Online Visa Applications

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-07T09:33:04+01:00

From 10 September 2011 all visa applications from the following countries must be made using the electronic online application system found at Visa4UK site:

Oman
Saudi Arabia

From 11 September 2011 the same applies for the following countries:

Bahrain
Qatar
Kuwait
United Arab Emirates

Paper applications will no longer be accepted.

Article 1F of the Refugee Convention and Discretionary Leave

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-06T10:53:22+01:00

Article 1F excludes certain individuals from full refugee status, and the protections that come with that status. Those excluded include:

Persons who have committed a crime against, peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity;
Persons who have committed a serious non-political crime; or
Persons guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

From 02 September 2011 a person that falls under this exclusion but who cannot be returned because of potential breaches to their Article 3 human rights protection will be granted a new restrictive discretionary leave on the following basis:

the leave will be issued for a maximum of 6 months at any one time;
there may be conditions restricting employment or occupations in the UK including restrictions on the individual working / volunteering a particular regulated / professional field.
there may be conditions prohibiting education;
there may be residence restrictions;
there may be conditions requiring the person to report at regular intervals;
there may be restrictions on the individual working / volunteering a particular regulated / professional field.

The full guidance can be found by clicking here.

Tier 4 Students and Working

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-05T12:58:49+01:00

There has been some confusion surrounding the UKBA's guidance on what type of employment a student can or cannot undertake.

Students are not meant to fill a full-time permanent vacancy but they can work full time during the vacation period and on completion of their course. Seems contradictory doesn't it? Well the UKBA have suggested some further guidance to clear that up:

A full-time permanent vacancy would cover any full-time post that is permanently on a companies staffing group.
What is and isn't full-time is dependent on the specific post on offer and not the contract type.
For example, a manager that is required in the office on a permanent basis would be a full-time permanent post, but an assistant or secretary to that manager required in the office to complete a particular project would not be, and a student can fill that post.

However, just to make it a little more complicated, casual work - such as bar work - would not be deemed a full-time permanent vacancy.

Whilst the student is awaiting a decision on an application to move from being a student to another category / employment route they must still comply with the above conditions until such time that application is approved and they are no longer a student.

If you have any questions relating to the above points, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The UKBA and Country Reports

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-02T16:42:42+01:00

The UKBA is responsible for considering asylum applications. In order to do so effectively they must fully take into account relevant information from the applicant's application and evidence, and then review it in conjunction with available country of origin information, as well as other relevant factors.

The UKBA’s department called the Country of Origin Information Service (COIS) collates and summarises information on countries giving rise to asylum claims in the UK. It was the use of those reports that the Independent Chief Inspector investigated between October 2010 and May 2010. The ICI concluded:

The UKBA needs to adopt a consistent approach to the use of COIS reports;
17% of decisions demonstrated a selective use of COI reports or contained assertions which the full range of country information did not support;
the information in the COI reports was sometimes used selectively or otherwise inappropriately in decision making;
COI was also included selectively in statements of policy with the risk that case owners could make decisions without taking into account all available evidence;
there was no consistent coordination of the various COI documents produced by the Agency; and
in the absence of a COI report, case owners operated very different approaches to researching COI and there was no mechanism to pool obtained knowledge.

The ICI said that the reports play a vital part in ensuring that decision makers are equipped with the most up-to-date and accurate information about conditions in other countries, but improvements needed to be made, and we wholeheartedly agree.

The full report can be found here.

Families of Migrants

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-09-01T11:54:11+01:00

The government are looking at making changes to the rules that allow family members to reunite and live with migrants who have already achieved full settlement (permanent residence) status. The proposed changes, which unsurprisingly make the system tougher, include:

Five-year probation period before family members are allowed to apply for settlement.
The migrant will be required to demonstrate a higher level of income.
The family member, on applying for settlement, will need to demonstrate they have qualified an English language course equivalent to level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (Cefr).

Under the proposals the unemployed or those living on less than around £5,000 a year would be banned from applying to come to the UK. The family member, once in the UK, will be denied access to welfare benefits during the 5 year probation period.

The government are also looking to change the human rights protection to allow deportation of family members who have been living illegally in the UK.

If implemented, the proposals would be far stricter than those in force in most EU countries, the US and Canada, says Thomas Huddleston, a researcher for the Brussels-based Migration Policy Group.

Tier 4: Changes

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-07-14T16:59:34+01:00

The UKBA amended the Immigration Rules to Tier 4 Students to include the following:

restrict work entitlements, by only allowing students sponsored by higher education institutions (HEIs) and publicly funded further education colleges to work part-time during term time and full-time during vacations;
restrict sponsorship of dependants to those of students sponsored by HEIs on postgraduate courses lasting 12 months or longer, and of government-sponsored students on courses lasting longer than 6 months;
require institutions to confirm that courses represent genuine academic progression from any previous courses studied by the student in the UK; and
create a streamlined application process for low-risk nationals sponsored by Highly Trusted sponsors.

The UKBA say:

'These changes are aimed at delivering a strong migration system which tackles immigration abuse while allowing genuine students to study at genuine colleges.'

Which sounds a little like making Tier 4 less attractive and a more difficult for students. Given the abuse of Tier 4 is relatively small it is perhaps aimed at reducing the inflow of migration instead. More when we have it.

Further Submissions (fresh asylum claim)

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-06-30T16:56:28+01:00

The UKBA office (further submissions unit) where you must serve your further submissions amounting to a fresh asylum application has moved to a new building in Liverpool.

The new building is located at:

The Capital Building
6 Union Street
Liverpool
L3 9AF

The phone number to book appointments to hand in further submissions will change to 0151 213 2411 and to cancel appointments already booked will change to 0151 213 2413.

For those that know, the further submissions unit was notoriously difficult to get on the phone. Let's hope these changes make the (not very practicable system) a little easier.

Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) is open

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-08-16T16:43:19+01:00

The Tier 1 (Exceptional talent) category of the UK's points-based system is open for applications.

The new category is for people who are internationally recognised as world-leading, or potential world-leading, talent in science or the arts. It is not possible to make the application from within the UK, it can only be made from abroad.

Click here for more information on the UKBA website.

Libyans in the UK

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-08-31T16:41:26+01:00

The UKBA published guidance for Libyans who wish to extend their leave outside of the normal Immigration Rules. They say that:

‘Where an individual is unable to meet some requirements of the Rules or provide some of the required evidence they should state why this is not possible, explaining any exceptional circumstances. We will consider applications on a case-by-case basis and we may use our discretion when reviewing cases.

Any Libyan national, with continuing lawful leave or previous lawful leave that has expired since 22 February 2011, who does not meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules but are unable to return to Libya may now be allowed to temporarily extend their stay in the UK.’

Applications can be made on the FLR(O) form. Where you cannot meet the fee you will need to complete an additional questionnaire which can be found here. Discretion may be applied in exceptional circumstances to grant a further period of leave for up to 6 months outside the Rules.

It is currently unclear how these applications will be considered given recent events in Libya, however, until this guidance is revised it may still be worth making the applications.

Campsfield Detention Centre Suicide

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-08-02T09:21:08+01:00

According to fell detainees, a man who was about to be deported has killed himself at Campsfield House. The 35 year old hanged himself in a toilet block hours before he was due to be forcibly removed. The Home Office confirmed that a 35-year-old man had died stating:

"The UK Border Agency is in the process of contacting his family and our sympathies are with them at this time. The police and prisons and probation ombudsman are investigating the matter, as is the norm, and we are cooperating fully with their investigations."

Campsfield House holds 200 asylum seekers and foreign prisoners and was the scene for protests in the past over conditions and the length of detention and method used to force returns. These are ongoing concerns for all detention centres and it is unfortunately not the first time that a detainee has committed suicide or suffered due to the method of forced removals which often involves dangerous and inappropriate techniques. Changes are long overdue.

Immigration Cap is Risking the Economy

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-06-01T13:25:12+01:00

Immigration Cap is Risking the Economy

An Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers conference in London warned that the immigration cap is putting the economy at risk.

The conference raised the following points:

The UK is bucking the trend among countries by placing barrios in the way of businesses;
The UK will starve itself from the people and skills required to emerge from the recession;
Delegates from France, Holland and Australia said they needed people to counter ageing populations;
Countries such as China are offering incentives to persuade expatriates to return.

The vibe was that the UK Government is pursuing an immigration cap based on political motives, regardless of the wider consequences to the economy.

Click the ‘Immigration Cap’ category to your right for all our blogging in relating to this subject.

Watch the Supreme Court in Action

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-31T15:53:02+01:00

Sky News has launched live coverage of proceedings in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court has four cameras installed in each of its three court rooms. So any ongoing court hearings and judgements can be watched live.

However, there will be occasions where the nature of the case means that coverage may not be suitable.

The court's hearings and judgements can now be watched live over the internet by clicking here.

European countries commit to take 300 refugees from Malta and 700 from North Africa

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-31T14:07:47+01:00

European countries pledged to relocate about 300 people from Malta, and to resettle about 700 people coming from Libya, Commissioner Malmstrom said. The commitment were made at a Pledging Conference on Relocation and Resettlement held in the margins of the Justice and Home Affairs extraordinary Council.

Pledges were reportedly made by Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Norway.

The UK Government decided not to accept any refugees who had managed to cross the Mediterranean fleeing turmoil in Libya. The Home Secretary said that the UK would not join the“burden sharing” scheme. This has been further confirmed by the deputy PM, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who, in contradiction to his comments detailed in our blog post found here, backed the decision not to open the borders. He said we would instead provide practical support directly in Italy. In a direct comparison, Ireland's Minister of State for Equality Kathleen Lynch said, “We believe it's a very good and worthwhile gesture in the circumstances. There are other countries with far greater resources than us who will be taking less.” A leading example from Ireland who are able to offer help despite their perilous economic position.

More when we have it.

Italy and the Detention of Migrants

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-26T11:42:17+01:00

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Italy is in breach of EU law, and in particular the Returns Directive, by administering up to 4 years of imprisonment for third country nationals illegally staying in Italy who have received an order to leave.

Where the Returns Directive allows for the use of detention, it must always be for the purpose of enforcing a return decision. The detention period must be as short as possible, and never exceed 18 months.

The judgement can be found here.

Battle for the Soul of Europe

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-25T08:56:10+01:00

The free movement of people in Europe is underwritten by the Schengen Agreement, but EU governments are increasingly moving back towards immigration checks between their countries.

The removal of unfettered travel across the continent will be a blow to one of the cornerstones of a united, integrated Europe.

According to reports it is being pushed primarily by France and Italy, but supported by 15 of the 22 EU states signed up to Schengen.

What has triggered the attack on the Schengen Agreement is fear of another wave of Muslim immigrants from north Africa. But what it has done was to raise the profile of the populist right parties slowly developing in many EU countries.

The Costs of an Appeal

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-23T09:29:24+01:00

From October 2011 the Tribunal Service will start charging fees for immigration appeals.

Fees will be set at £80 for an appeal based on the papers, and £140 for an oral hearing. However, the consensus is that, once these rates are accepted, they fees are likely to increase over time.

Where a person asks for a paper hearing, but a judge requests a oral hearing, there will be no charge. A person can apply for a refund where the opposite occurs.

The fees will be restricted to the First-tier Tribunal, so no fees are currently planned for appeals in the Upper Tribunal.

The Tribunal may award these costs against the UK Border Agency if it was clear that they should have accepted the initial decision, and the appeal could have been avoided.

Those in receipt of NASS support, child support, and who qualify for legal aid, will be exempt. Also exempt are appeals regarding deportation, removal, revocation, deprivation of citizenship, humanitarian cases, and detained cases.

Changes to Points Based System Appeals

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-20T20:29:44+01:00

The UK Border Agency announced that from 23 May 2011 tribunals will not be allowed to consider evidence submitted after they have made a decision to refuse a Points Based System application.

The UKBA say that it will 'stop misuse of the system' and stop 'individuals to drag out their appeal by submitting new evidence at the last minute'. However, what was slightly glossed over (or actually ignored) was their poor decision making, and their failure, up to now, to avoid the appeals (and the costs of those appeals) by simply contacting the applications for the right evidence before making a decision. The UKBA now say they will do this from 23 May 2011.

The Commencement Order is expected to apply to all appeals heard for the first time against refusals under the PBS regardless of the date that the appeal was lodged.

This seems to be an abuse of the legal certainty principle, where grounds of appeal are changed without warning or notice. Particularly, as those who received negative decisions before 23 May 2011 would not have had UKBA caseowners contact them for further information / documents before making that decision. To then deny that information during their appeal is irrational. Also...

Snippets of the Lords Depate on Legal Aid

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-19T18:07:49+01:00

The House of Lords had a debate (19.05.11) on the Government's plan to cut the legal aid budget by £350 million, thereby depriving hundreds of thousands from legal representation.

Lord Beecham began the debate by saying, 'The legal aid system was one of the great pillars of the post war welfare state.' He called the cuts 'draconian' and the Government's suggestion that mediation and voluntary organisations would fill the gap was wrong.

He went on to comment that the £1.2 billion budget has been frozen since 2003/4, despite a significant increase in the number of people helped. The taxpayer is getting a lot more for a lot less, but you can only squeeze so far.

Lord Thomas of Gresford pointed out that...

Passenger Name Records

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-19T09:21:37+01:00

The Immigration Minister made a statement in the House of Commons on 11 May 2011 to confirm that the Government has decided to opt into the EU Directive on Passenger Name Records.

The justification for doing so was to assist law enforcement agencies to prevent, detect, and investigate terrorist and other criminal activities.

This means that passenger data collected by air carriers as part of the operation of their business will be collected and monitored by EU governments. Air carriers will not be required to collect any more data than they already collect as part of an ordinary business transaction.

The data...

Detention of Asylum Seeking Children

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-18T09:07:25+01:00

The Deputy Prime Minister, as part of his speech to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the formation of the Refugee Council in the UK, said the policy of detaining children has stopped.

While, the Children's Society produced a new research report called ‘What Have I Done? The experiences of children and families in UK immigration detention' which examines the experiences of 32 families detained prior to the pledge to end the detention of children.

It emphasises the importance of safeguarding issues around the use of detention and the impact to children, some of the experiences collected include:

Children witnessing traumatic events, including hunger strikes and suicide attempts and the use of restraint on their parents.
High levels of stress, fear, confusion, and feelings of hopelessness and degradation experienced by family members in detention.
Many children did not eat, or lost weight, during detention. Families had medication removed upon arrival or missed important medical appointments as a consequence of detention. One child was detained for a second time despite suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after her first detention.
The majority of children experienced emotional distress during detention, including sleeplessness, nightmares and constant crying.
After release from detention, the majority of families experienced on-going and persistent effects on their mental and emotional health.

You can find the report, and more about the Children's Society, at their website here.

Deputy Prime Minister's speech to mark 60 year of the Refugee Council

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-16T10:24:44+01:00

The Deputy Prime Minister gave a keynote speech on 10 May 2011 to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the formation of the Refugee Council in the UK.

The DPM accepted that there is still more progress to be made, but praised the UK's role in human rights issues.

He hoped that the UK should aim for the 'most compassionate, efficient, dignified asylum system in the world.' He pointed out that half of asylum cases are now decided within a month, and promised to ensure the system is fair as it becomes faster.

He said that just as important as helping refugees was taking a stand against regimes that pose a threat to peace and restricts the liberty of their people — he highlighted Burma, North Korea, Libya and Syria.

Supporting the Poppy Project

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-13T09:14:53+01:00

On a blog post dated 12 October 2010 we provided details of an important support service for female survivors of trafficking called the Poppy Project.

Despite the importance of their work the UKBA is terminating the funding it provides for them. Instead it has awarded a contract to the Salvation Army, which means the Project’s funding is reduced by 90%.

They need to raise £1.8 million very year to keep providing high quality support and accommodation to women who have been trafficked for sexual or domestic exploitation, and their children.

You can help support them here.

Certificates of Approval to Marry

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-12T13:54:18+01:00

The Certificate of Approval to Marry Scheme was abolished on 9 May 2011.

The certificate of approval to marry requirement was introduced in February 2005 as part of a package of measures by the Government designed to deter persons without indefinite leave to remain from entering into marriages of convenience ('sham marriages') for immigration purposes.

The scheme required persons, who were subject to immigration control, did not hold indefinite leave and who wished to marry (other than in the Anglican Church) or register a civil partnership in the UK, to apply to UKBA for prior approval and pay a fee.

The Courts concluded the scheme to be an unlawful interference with the fundamental right to marry.

New Tier 4 Student Policy

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-11T09:40:30+01:00

Changes to Tier 4 have come into effect on 21 April 2011. The Government announced that the changes 'deliver a strong migration system which tackles immigration abuse, while allowing genuine students to study at genuine colleges.'

A UKBA summary of the changes are below.

Entry Requirements: Accreditation

All sponsors must have been accredited by either Ofsted and its devolved equivalents, QAA, the Independent Schools Inspectorate, the Bridge Schools Inspectorate or the Schools Inspection Service and all must become Highly Trusted Sponsors.

Sponsors will be required to achieve Highly Trusted Status by April 2012, and ...

Libyans in the UK

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-10T12:56:06+01:00

The UKBA accepts that Libyans in the UK may be unable to return due to the current situation in Libya. The UKBA asks that you keep proof of original travel plans as evidence of your intention to comply with your original visa requirements. They ask that you monitor the situation, and make arrangements to return as soon as it is safe to do so.

The UKBA does not, however, confirm how any future immigration applications will be considered if you are forced to overstay your leave. It is likely ...

Slough Immigration Aid Unit

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-10T09:26:36+01:00

The SIAU is a charity that provides specialist immigration advice to individuals and families in the Slough area. It is regulated by the OISC. In the absence of solicitors with a legal aid contract, the SIAU is one of the only places in Slough where those who cannot normally afford legal representation can get it for free.

As SIAU is a charity it survives purely on donations and grants for the majority of its funding. Representatives of SIAU will be walking to raise money for the unit during the London Legal Support Trust walk on 16 May 2011. If you would like to support that walk click here.

A8 Nationals and the Worker Registration Scheme

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-06T09:40:48+01:00

The UK Border Agency scheme to restrict work for A8 (Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Slovak, and Slovenian) nationals ended on 01 May 2011. After 1 May 2011, A8 nationals will not be required to apply for an EEA Registration Certificate to confirm their right of residence. It will be open to A8 nationals, in the same way as other EU nationals, to ...

Changes to Tier 1

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-05T10:00:41+01:00

Tier 1 will now be restricted to all but entrepreneurs, investors and people of exceptional talent.

Investors who invest large sums of money will see their right to settle permanently in the UK sped up. Those who invest £5 million will be allowed to settle here after 3 years, and those investing £10 million or more will be allowed to settle after 2 years. This compares with ...

Ken Clarke v The European Court

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-05-04T15:38:16+01:00

Ken Clark, the Justice Secretary, speaking at the Council of Europe on the Future of the European Court of Human Rights said that the court should have greater regard for the decisions of domestic courts.

Clark said, ‘The UK has always been a strong supporter of the ECtHR. But at times the court has been rather too ready to substitute its own judgment for that of national courts, without giving enough weight to the strength of the domestic legal system, or allowing for genuine differences of national approach.'

The UK is ...

Annual Limit on Non-EU Workers

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-04-28T10:45:59+01:00

The annual limit to reduce the immigration of non-EU workers into the UK has come into force. Under the annual limit, employers will be able to bring only 20,700 people from outside the EU to work in skilled professions under Tier 2 (General) of the points-based system. A further 1,000 visas will be made available to people of 'exceptional talent,' those who experts believe will make the biggest contribution to science, engineering and the arts in the UK.

Changes to the Settlement Rules

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-04-27T12:45:42+01:00

The UKBA announced changes to the rules relating to settlement (permanent residence) applications. New applicants will need to

Defending Legal Aid

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2011-04-26T12:25:42+01:00

The Law Society has published its views on the Government's proposals to cut legal aid. The proposals explain how access to justice can be safeguarded whilst still making financial savings. At the same time they have established a Sound Off for Justice campaign. The campaign aims to

Driving license rules tightened for those with temporary leave

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-03-25T21:48:48+00:00

Those with temporary leave to remain in the UK will no longer be able to apply for driving licences, under new government rules.

Armed Forces and marriage visas

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-04-06T21:45:17+01:00

The UK Border Agency today lowered the marriage visa age to 18 for serving members of the armed forces and their partners.

Prime Minister sets out immigration matters

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-04-08T21:42:40+01:00

The PM, in a speech delivered in Shoreditch, East London, explained how the government is transforming the way it deals with immigration through its ‘controlled and fair’ points-based system. He went onto say:

Election roundup...

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-03T21:35:53+01:00

The Liberal Democrats propose to end the imprisonment of children in immigration detention centers, they call the imprisonment “unnecessary...inhuman...

Who'd would vote for the BNP

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-04T21:34:05+01:00

The BNP proposed to offer non-white British people £50,000 to leave "overcrowded" Britain and return to the land of their ancestors, the party's leader Nick Griffin said.

Legal Aid and the election

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-05T21:32:22+01:00

The economy is at the forefront of the upcoming election. All the political parties are caught in a budgeting trap of preserving some services...

A Conservative-Lib Dem coalition and an immigration cap A Conservative-Lib Dem coalition and an immigration cap A Conservative-Lib Dem coalition and an immigration cap

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-08T21:30:35+01:00

The Conservatives have agreed to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. This is the first time Britain has had a coalition government in 70 years.

The Bristol Bike Project

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-12T21:27:32+01:00

A charitable project in Bristol provides refugees bicycles for their own use...

Protection of gay asylum seekers

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-21T21:25:23+01:00

The Home Secretary to-be Theresa May promoted the Conservative Party's "Contract for Equalities", and stated:

No notice removals suspended

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-23T21:24:22+01:00

UK Border Agency policy was that 72 hours notice of removal must normally be given, this is suspended pending legal challenge starting on 15 June 2010.

UNHCR calls for broad protection of Somalis

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-24T21:18:56+01:00

UNHCR’s latest guidelines call for a broad application of refugee protection to Somali asylum-seekers....

The Queen's Speech

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-25T21:17:28+01:00

The Queen opened the new Parliament yesterday in ceremonial style with her speech outlining the government's plans.

Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre to Double Capacity

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-05-26T21:14:59+01:00

Britain has the largest network of immigration detention centres in Europe...

Migrants marrying UK citizens must now learn English

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-09T21:09:25+01:00

Today, the Home Office announced that it is bringing forward to the autumn a piece of Labour legislation that will deny entry to people from outside the EU who marry British citizens but don't speak English.

DVORR: first annual meeting

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-09T21:07:08+01:00

Seraphus was present at DVORR’s first annual meeting. DVORR introduced the organisation to the wider public....

UK to deport child asylum seekers to Afghanistan

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-09T21:05:17+01:00

The UK Border Agency is to set up a £4m "reintegration centre" in Afghanistan so that it can start deporting unaccompanied child asylum seekers to Kabul from Britain.

UN mounts airlift for Kyrgyzstan refugees

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-18T21:01:35+01:00

More than a quarter of a million people have fled ethnic fighting in southern Kyrgyzstan, the UN refugee agency says.

UN to probe 'beating' of deported Iraqis by UK staff

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-18T20:59:57+01:00

Update to our previous blog: the UN refugee agency is investigating allegations that deported Iraqi asylum seekers were beaten by UK Border Agency staff to get them on and off the plane.

English Courses and Accredited Colleges

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-20T20:55:38+01:00

Applicants wishing to demonstrate that they meet the Knowledge of Life in the UK requirement on the basis of an English for Speakers of Other Languages ['ESOL'] qualification must have obtained that qualification from an 'accredited college'.

Failed States Index 2010

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-22T20:53:10+01:00

Top ten: Somalia, Chad, Sudan, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Central African Republic, Guinea, Pakistan.

Is Legal Aid under threat?

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-24T20:48:18+01:00

The Government has announced its review of legal aid in a written ministerial statement to Parliament yesterday by Secretary of State for Justice Kenneth Clarke.

Immigration Figures

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-06-25T22:15:13+01:00

The population of the UK reached nearly 62 million last year according to figures published by the Office of National Statistics today.

UK Torture Inquiry

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-07T22:13:20+01:00

David Cameron opened an inquiry to establish whether the British Government and its intelligence agencies were involved in improper treatment of detainees held by other countries, and if so, to what extend.

Treatment of a homosexual asylum seekers

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-07T22:11:50+01:00

The UK Supreme Court in HJ (Iran) and HT (Cameroon) ruled, to compel a homosexual person to return to their country of origin and pretend...

Tier 4: Changes

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-09T22:10:40+01:00

English colleges today won a case in the High Course against the Home Secretary's decision to raise the level of English which students must have before they can get a UK visa to learn the language here.

Sudan: Genocide

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-12T22:09:20+01:00

The International Criminal Court has charged President Omar al-Bashir with three counts of genocide in Darfur.

Tier 1: Changes

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-10T22:07:56+01:00

Between 19 July and 30 July 2010, the UK Border Agency are prioritising work to implement the government's new policy on an interim immigration limit. It may have an impact on sponsor licensing and applications.

Yarl's Wood IRC

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-21T22:06:36+01:00

UPDATE: The family wing of Yarl's Wood is to close. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the move was part of the government's commitment to end child detention for immigration purposes.

A Medical Justice: fast track deportation illegal

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-26T22:32:23+01:00

A challenge to 'no notice' removal by the Medical Justice was successful. The High Court found removing individuals without prior notice is unlawful. The judge added...

Points Based System

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-26T22:27:35+01:00

If you have been refused permission to enter or stay in the UK under the Points-Based System because you failed to meet a requirement in the policy guidance which is not part of the immigration rules we strongly recommend you contact us, or any other qualified immigration lawyer, to request a review of your case immediately.

Certificate of Approval for Marriage

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-07-27T22:25:43+01:00

The government has today announced its intention to abolish the 'certificate of approval' scheme. A Remedial Order under the Human Rights Act 1998 has been laid in Parliament to achieve this aim.

New guidance for employers

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-08-10T22:23:11+01:00

New guidance has been published to help UK employers understand the status of asylum seekers, refugees and those with humanitarian protection.

Refugees & Settlement

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-08-12T22:21:49+01:00

The first refugees (and those awarded HP) to have been granted five years limited leave will reach the end of their leave this month. Making the application...

Legal Aid Reform

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-08-18T00:31:00+01:00

UPDATE: A tenth of the £900 million civil legal aid budget was spent on asylum and immigration last year and Mr Clarke aims to further reduce this figure.

Asylum: Right to Work

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-08-20T00:29:31+01:00

UPDATE: As a result of losing their challenge to ZO (Somalia) the UKBA is changing the immigration rules to allow asylum seekers who made asylum claims before 05 March 2007 (and are being

DVORR Event: Sudan and the road to justice

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-08-14T00:28:15+01:00

The Darfur Victims Organisation for Rehabilitation and Relief is holding a free event to discuss the International Criminal Court and its role in securing justice in Sudan.

Immigration Cap: Students

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-09-06T00:26:49+01:00

Home Office research suggests 1 in 5 students overstay their visa. This conclusion was used as a springboard for the Immigration Minister, Damian Green, to conclude that student migration is 'out of control'.

Tier 4: Changes

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-10-05T00:24:53+01:00

Tier 4 students who still have leave to remain within the UK in their passport can now make a new application for a UK visa from outside the UK, the UK Border Agency announced.

Immigration Rules: Changes

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-10-05T00:23:11+01:00

The English language requirement for spouse and partners has been introduced. It takes effect for new applications made on or after 29 November 2010. Also changed are

English Language Requirement

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-10-06T00:20:00+01:00

Leading lawyers, Rabinder Singh QC and Aileen McColan, advising Liberty say that making spouses pass English language tests could be discriminatory and could amount to a breach of the right to family life under the Human Rights Act. They sight

France: Roma expulsions

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-10-08T00:16:28+01:00

The European commission ordered France to comply with an EU directive on the free movement of EU citizens or face legal action over its expulsion of thousands of Roma.

Eaves Poppy Project

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-10-12T00:15:03+01:00

The Poppy Project is an Eaves service which provides support for female survivors of trafficking.

Zimbabwe

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-10-14T00:12:33+01:00

Ministers have today made a written statement to Parliament announcing that the UKBA will be resuming enforced returns of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe.

Tier 1 & 2: Changes

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-10-18T00:10:06+01:00

From 12 October 2010, the UK Border Agency has introduced a new requirement for applications to work in the UK under Tier 1 (General), Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) or any Tier 2 category of the points-based system.

Immigration Cap

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-11-04T00:06:42+00:00

The Commons Home Affairs Committee say the proposed annual cap will cover fewer than 20% of long-term migrants to Britain, it will make little difference to overall immigration and may do serious damage to Britain's knowledge economy.

Citizenship

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-11-05T00:03:09+00:00

The Home Secretary, Teresa May, made a speech today in which she said that the Government will not implement the earned citizenship proposals. However, it appears that they are determined to stop people settling, so those can apply for settlement and citizenship should do so as soon as they are eligible.

Child & Family Detention

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-11-09T23:56:54+00:00

The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, faces fresh embarrassment today over a new Home Office postponement of the pledge to end the detention of children in immigration removal centres.

Greece: Asylum Process

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-11-10T23:53:04+00:00

As of 3 November 2010 Sweden will cease the transfer of asylum seekers to Greece, under the Dublin Regulation. Dan Eliasson, Director General of the Swedish Migration Board, explained “the situation in Greece is gradually deteriorating, also for asylum seekers from Sweden”.

Iraq

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-11-11T23:42:14+00:00

The Netherlands will stop deporting Iraqis - Dutch Minister for Immigration and Asylum Gerd Leers announced that the Netherlands will stop deportation of Iraqis to their home country.

Seraphus Solicitors & Legal Aid

cdesira@seraphus.co.uk — 2010-12-02T17:23:42+00:00

Legal Aid services now available at Seraphus.