Post by petra on Feb 22, 2008 18:14:41 GMT 1
The new(ish) Immigration Minister writes:
*cries*
Please go here and tell Liam Byrne what you think of his fucking horrendous plans for homeland security.
In 2008 Labour is completely overhauling the way we judge who can come to the UK. We are introducing an Australian-style points system to ensure only those who benefit the UK can come here, and we are further reinforcing our borders with ID cards for foreign nationals, a new single border force, fingerprinting of visa applicants, and new systems to count people in and out of the country.
In the latest stage of our comprehensive reforms, the Labour government has published a Green Paper on Earned Citizenship, proposing radical changes to the way newcomers are able to earn their stay in Britain.
These new proposals are a result of a series of UK-wide listening events during which the public were clear about the values they wanted all newcomers to the UK to sign up to: speaking English; working hard and paying tax; obeying the law; and getting involved and mixing in the community.
The Earned Citizenship Green Paper says that full access to benefits, including social housing, should be delayed until migrants have completed a new period of probationary citizenship, lasting between one and five years. Those who don’t make the grade at any stage in the new system will have to leave the country.
Migrants will have to improve their command of English while they have been in Britain in order to pass their probationary citizenship period.
Migrants convicted of serious crimes will soon face automatic deportation. Now, the Government have proposed that anyone who commits an offence resulting in prison will be barred from becoming citizens. And those who commit minor offences will be required to spend longer as probationary citizens, without access to mainstream benefits or social housing, before we let them apply for citizenship.
And migrants from outside the European Economic Area will need to contribute to a new fund to provide extra financial help to public services in communities experiencing change caused by migration.
Economic migrants who get involved in their communities, through for example volunteering, will be able to graduate to British citizenship after spending six years in Britain – as long as they have stayed in work paying taxes and have no criminal record. Those who don’t get involved will need to stay working for eight years.
You can read more about the Government’s ten-point plan on border protection and a new visa system by clicking here.
Liam Byrne would like to know your views on the new initiatives and you can ask him your question or add your comments below.
In the latest stage of our comprehensive reforms, the Labour government has published a Green Paper on Earned Citizenship, proposing radical changes to the way newcomers are able to earn their stay in Britain.
These new proposals are a result of a series of UK-wide listening events during which the public were clear about the values they wanted all newcomers to the UK to sign up to: speaking English; working hard and paying tax; obeying the law; and getting involved and mixing in the community.
The Earned Citizenship Green Paper says that full access to benefits, including social housing, should be delayed until migrants have completed a new period of probationary citizenship, lasting between one and five years. Those who don’t make the grade at any stage in the new system will have to leave the country.
Migrants will have to improve their command of English while they have been in Britain in order to pass their probationary citizenship period.
Migrants convicted of serious crimes will soon face automatic deportation. Now, the Government have proposed that anyone who commits an offence resulting in prison will be barred from becoming citizens. And those who commit minor offences will be required to spend longer as probationary citizens, without access to mainstream benefits or social housing, before we let them apply for citizenship.
And migrants from outside the European Economic Area will need to contribute to a new fund to provide extra financial help to public services in communities experiencing change caused by migration.
Economic migrants who get involved in their communities, through for example volunteering, will be able to graduate to British citizenship after spending six years in Britain – as long as they have stayed in work paying taxes and have no criminal record. Those who don’t get involved will need to stay working for eight years.
You can read more about the Government’s ten-point plan on border protection and a new visa system by clicking here.
Liam Byrne would like to know your views on the new initiatives and you can ask him your question or add your comments below.
*cries*
Please go here and tell Liam Byrne what you think of his fucking horrendous plans for homeland security.
