Immigration and asylum - new material
01 July 2008
Developing Diversity: how to improve the way we treat people seeking sanctuary. Independent Asylum Commission, October 2008, pp 54. This final report condemns the government for its “inhumane and oppressive” treatment and failure to deal fairly with people seeking sanctuary. Its key findings are: 1. that those seeking asylum in the UK “deserve to be treated with dignity over which mere administrative convenience must never prevail” and it recommends that “urgent action is taken to remedy situations where the dignity of those who seek sanctuary is compromised”; 2. “People seeking sanctuary should be treated fairly and humanely, have access to essential support and public services, and should make a contribution to the UK if they are able” and 3. The responsibility for the treatment of asylum seekers “lies with the UK Border Agency, but also with politicians, the media and every individual citizen” – the UKBA “must engage swiftly” with the reports 92 recommendations. Asylum and Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne, said this evidence-based report was fiction, and that the system fair: See http://www.independentasylumcommission.org.uk/
Recommended UK Shortage Occupation Lists. Migration Advisory Committee, October 2008. The MAC was established to “provide transparent, independent and evidence-based advice to the Government on where shortages of skilled labour can be filled by immigration from outside the European Economic Area”. These reports are the first checklist of the kind of jobs that can be filled by migrant workers of any nationality in the UK and Scotland and it will considerably reduce the overall number of posts available to non-Europeans. See: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/workingwithus/mac/macreports/
Scope and meaning of article 8 in expulsion cases, Navtej Singh Ahluwalia, Rebecca Chapman, leonie Hirst, Glen Hodgetts, Hugh Southney, Abi Smith, Amanada Watson and Chris Williams. Legal Action August 2008, pp. 49-51. This piece considers three House of Lords’ decisions that will have an impact in cases where the right to respect for family life in the UK under article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Recent Developments in Immigration Law, parts 1 and 2, Jawaid Luqmani and the Took’s Chambers’ Immigration Team. Legal Action June and July 2008, pp 12-15 and pp 27-34. In the first part Luqmani reports on the new UK Border Agency and recent changes in immigration rules. Part 2 considers significant developments in immigration case law.
Immigration Law Update, Alan Caskie. SCOLAG Legal Journal no. 367 (May) 2008, pp 127. Review of significant court cases from Scotland and England in the fields of asylum, immigration and nationality law.
Migrant Workers and Vulnerable Employment: a review of existing data, Hiranthi Jayaweera and Bridget Anderson. Centre on Migration Policy and Society (TUC Commission on Vulnerable Employment, London), September 2008, pp 49. This report, which focuses on the West and East Midlands and the east of England, finds that recent migrant workers are more than twice as likely as other workers to be earning less than the minimum wage and that female workers are most at risk. Disadvantage is found in pay, working hours, accommodation: http://www.asylumscotland.org.uk/assets/downloads/research/Migrant%20workers%20and%20vulnerable%20employment.pdf
ESOL in the Post-compulsory Learning and Skills Sector: an evaluation. Ofsted, 3.10.08, pp. This survey evaluates the quality of the provision of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and reports on the programmes offered. It concludes that courses for migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers living in England are not good enough, with only one-fifth that are run by adult and community learning providers meeting the required standard. Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, said: “We must equip learners with the very best English skills to have them have the confidence to make a positive contribution to the community.” See: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports
Asylum Seekers and Refugees, Hugh O’Donnell. SCOLAG Legal Journal no. 371 (September) 2008, p 218. Brief outline of the Scottish Cross-Party Group on Asylum Seekers and Refugees: www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/crossPartyGroups/