Damian Green: Proposed Changes To UK Immigration 2012

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On 2^nd February Damian Green, the Immigration Minister made a bold statement regarding the future of UK Immigration, he indicated the UK immigration process will be made easier for those migrants that will benefit Britain, not just benefit from Britain.

The immigration routes which Mr Green specifically mentioned were regarding migrants who are Tier 1 Investor and ‘Tier 4 General Student who have engaged in supervised entrepreneurial activity during their studies in the UK’ and wish to remain in the UK after their studies to develop their ideas’.

Mr Green went on to say, specialist routes will be developed to improve the immigration system for migrants wishing to the enter the UK for short – term Business Visitor and Entertainer Visitor to encourage world class performers to enter the UK.

This obviously seems to be good news for migrants who are high earning and promising student entrepreneurs, business visitors and entertainers, however Mr Green also specified when it comes to family migration Britain will welcome those who are in a genuine relationship the caveat being the migrant must integrate fully and have the financial means to prosper. The Migrant Advisory Committee, who advise the Government on migration issues have stated in order for this criteria to be met the amount of earnings that would be required would be between £18,600 to £25,700.

I cannot understand why there needs to be a specific financial figure, that a couple needs to show, in order to obtain a successful outcome for their family migration applications, as there are already rules in place to ensure migrants entering the UK under ‘family migration’ are not a drain on UK resources. For example migrants entering the UK under the Spouse category must be able to maintain themselves adequately without recourse to public funds in the UK. This therefore suggests to me Mr Green only desires ‘rich’ migrants to settle in the UK with their ‘rich’ British national and ‘poor’ migrants who fall in love with a ‘poor’ British national should not be able to live together in the UK. This to me does not seem very democratic!