Are borders stronger than the common European cause? Passport control will be reestablished on the internal borders of the Schengen area. EU Ministers of the Interior have approved this initiative by an overwhelming majority of votes. The Voice of Russia (13-May-2011) EU criticises Danish border move Dark clouds at the German-Danish border today. Denmark has introduced controls at its borders to Germany and Sweden in what it says is a necessary step against organised crime. MSN News Ireland (13-May-2011) Cracks widen in Europe's dream of unity Description -- (BRUSSELS) - With Europe's open borders closing, bailouts turning north against south and nation EUbusiness.com (13-May-2011) UK Border Agency Not Effective In Using Intelligence And Has Failed To Follow Official Guidance Says Independent Report The UK Broder Agency is not using intellig eGov Monitor (13-May-2011) Mum guilty of baby murder A Lithuanian immigrant who murdered her newly-born son in Scotland by suffocating him with clingfilm is facing extradition over Evening Times (13-May-2011) Mass immigration from Africa 'could create a full-scale crisis' Britain has warned against a "full-scale immigration crisis" at the heart of Europe as EU countr London Evening Standard (13-May-2011) Lifting Londoners out of the poverty trap The paradox of London is that it has considerable poverty as well as areas of considerable wealth. The reality of London Evening Standard (13-May-2011) Six illegal factory workers arrested in Leicester Six illegal workers have been arrested by UK Border Agency officers during a raid on a Leicester clothing factor BBC News England (13-May-2011) Mass immigration ‘has made the UK’s poor even poorer’ Ministers drew a link for the first time yesterday between large-scale immigration and rising levels of p Mail Online (13-May-2011) SHOWDOWN AT EU AS THERESA MAY INSISTS WE WON'T TAKE ANY MORE IMMIGRANTS THERESA May last night told European Union chiefs that Britain will not accept a fresh wav Daily Express (13-May-2011) WE NEED 420 NEW SCHOOLS A YEAR TO COPE WITH MIGRANTS THE schools system is on the brink of a massive crisis because of an explosion in pupil numbers resulting from Daily Express (13-May-2011) UK Border Agency criticised over intelligence use By Dominic Casciani There are failings in the way the UK Border Agency uses intelligence to tackle illegal BBC News; Isle of Man (12-May-2011) Q+A - Is unrestricted travel within Europe about to end? (Reuters) - Mounting concern over an influx of illegal immigrants from North Africa is fuelling deb Reuters UK (12-May-2011) To vote, or not to vote? Danes face a possible early election, with immigration again a big issue The Economist (12-May-2011) EU consensus to revamp Schengen travel area Description -- Photo © Yahia LOUKKA (BRUSSELS) - European interior ministers reached consensus Thursday on a pl EUbusiness.com (12-May-2011) The challenge of demographic change There may be a lot of debate about what the “big society†means, but there’s one thing we should all be able to agree on: we live in a big The Spectator (12-May-2011) Denmark brings in strict border controls to crack down on illegal immigrants from North Africa Denmark yesterday joined an increasing number of European count Mail Online (12-May-2011) Raid catches seven illegal staff at Wellingborough firm Seven illegal workers from India and Pakistan have been caught in a UK Border Agency raid in Northampton BBC News England (12-May-2011) City uni hit by abuse of visa scheme Immigration Minister Damian Green has admitted there may be widespread abuses of a visa scheme that provides foreign student Evening Times (12-May-2011) EU studies plan to change Schengen border treaty EU home affairs ministers are meeting to consider controversial proposals to change Europe's 25-nation Schengen BBC News; Isle of Man (12-May-2011) Seven out of Ten Lib Dem Voters Want Net Immigration sharply cut: New poll shows strong support for Cameron’s target 10 May, 2011 A new YouGov poll has found that 72% of potential Liberal Democrat voters want net immigration of 100,000 or less per year. A majority (55%) of Lib Dem supporters wanted to see a much lower figure of 50,000 or less. Only 8% wanted the present level of 200,000 a year or more. Results for Labour voters were almost identical. 74% of potential Labour voters favour net immigration of 100,000 or less a year and a majority (64%) want 50,000 or less; only 7% wanted 200,000 or more. Conservative voters were 92% in favour of 100,000 or less while only 2% wanted 200,000 or more. Taking the public as a whole, 79% favoured 100,000 or less while 5% wanted 200,000 or more. This underlines the strength of support right across the political spectrum for David Cameron’s aim to cut net migration to the “tens of thousands” during the course of the Parliament. The poll also found strong support among potential Liberal Democrat voters for the Government’s measures to limit the number of economic migrants to Britain. 76% supported a limit while 18% opposed it, of those 4% strongly opposed. Labour voters took the same view while 96% of Conservatives supported a limit to economic migration, with only 3% opposing. Replicate questions were posed in a YouGov survey last November and showed a very similar pattern in response to both questions. This suggests that people have not been influenced by recent criticism of the government policy. Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migration Watch UK said "It is now absolutely clear that potential Lib Dem voters overwhelmingly support the Conservative policy of reducing net immigration to 100,000 or less. Who do Lib Dem leaders think they are speaking for when they oppose this policy?" Notes to editors All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,530 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 8th - 9th May 2011. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). Migrationwatch calls for firmer action on sham marriages 9 May, 2011 From Monday 9 May, the government is being obliged by the courts to abandon its requirement that a marriage or civil partnership involving a partner subject to immigration control must have the prior permission of the Home Office (a “Certificate of Approval”). Migrationwatch therefore called today for Registrars to be given a new power to delay suspicious marriages for up to three months to allow time for them to be investigated. This, of itself, would be a deterrent to bogus applicants (See Briefing Paper No 8.53). They also suggested tougher checks when those with marriage certificates applied for Leave to Remain – the second stage of the process. The Immigration Rules require that the couple intend to live together permanently as man and wife without recourse to public funds. In cases of sham marriages this would clearly not be the case. Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of Migrationwatch, said “Sham marriages are a huge cost to the tax payer as they admit the bogus partner to the full panoply of welfare benefits, including housing. The courts have given full weight to the human rights of applicants but none to those of the tax payer. Tougher measures, proof against further appeals, are now needed to deal with the situation that has resulted. North African Crisis Could Test the Asylum System to Destruction 29 April, 2011 The recent instability caused by revolutionary change and military conflict in some Arab countries in North Africa has the potential to generate substantial flows of migrants into the EU. EU Ministers will meet on 11 April to consider what might be done. Some migrants will be genuine refugees but many will be economic migrants. Anyone who sets foot in the UK and claims asylum has the right under the 1951 Refugee Convention to have his or her case heard and also has a right of appeal if refused. Applicants are supported by the taxpayer throughout the process which takes months, and often years. The UK's record in removing those whose cases eventually fail is extremely poor. In theory, the UK can return economic migrants who claim asylum to the EU country in which they first arrived but that requires proof of their point of arrival which is often impossible to obtain. Read the full Press Release and research document Briefing Paper No 11.25 The European Convention on Human Rights: Recent Developments 10 May, 2011 A recent report by Civitas, otherwise the Institute for the Study of Civil Society, under the title of “Strasbourg in the Dock: Prisoner voting, human rights and the case for democracy” has trenchantly analysed some of the current problems with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and in particular with the functioning of the Court of Human Rights (CHR) in Strasbourg. It carries much the same message as the other recent report on the subject, “Bringing Rights back home” by Michael Pinto-Duschinsky”, which was published in February. That report drew attention to the shortcomings of the CHR, the fact that each of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, including such tiddlers as San Marino and Liechtenstein, has the right to appoint one of the judges and many of those so appointed have little or no judicial experience or experience as practising lawyers. The same point is made by the Civitas report, which says that currently only 23 of the 47 judges have prior judicial experience. To read the full document go to Briefing Paper No 8.54. Why is the BBC STILL so hideously biased on immigration? By Sir Andrew Green Chairman of Migration Watch UK The Daily Mail, London, 15 April, 2011 David Cameron has just made the most important speech on immigration of any Prime Minister for many years. He tackled the subject in a frank, open, comprehensive and factual manner, while remaining sensitive to the delicacy of the issues. He set out a clear aim — to get net immigration down to tens of thousands — while disposing of the myth that EU migration would render this impossible. He didn't shy away from describing the widespread abuse in the immigration system, whether by forced or sham marriages, bogus students, dodgy colleges, or dubious work permits. This was a very significant contribution from a national leader addressing a sensitive issue that troubles a huge number of people in this country. Yet if you had listened to Radio 4 you would not have known it. Their treatment of this story was abysmal. To read the full article go to Press Articles.
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Friday, 13 May 2011
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