Global Immigration Immigration News

Documents released by world football governing body, FIFA demand that countries bidding to host the 2026 football World Cup offer visa-free travel, plus work permit and tax exemptions if they want their bids to be accepted. The scandal hit organisation wants a ‘visa-free environment, or at the very least, non-discriminatory visa procedures.’

Americans may lose visa-free travel to Europe as the European Parliament responded to Washington’s refusal to allow EU citizens from some of the newer EU Countries visa-free travel access to the United States.  In a ‘show of hands’ vote the European Parliament has decided to end visa free travel for US citizens in its continuing  ‘visa battle’ between Brussels and the US.  However, this is a non-binding vote and in practice the visa restrictions may never be imposed.  

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says that immigrants are good for the economy and governments should be “singing the praises of migrants”, improve local infrastructure to prevent the rise of “extreme anti-immigration views” and “reap the full benefits of migration.”

According to the OECD, immigration is ‘broadly positive for countries.’ However, the organisation acknowledged that there can be negative local effects as a sharp rise in migration can expose already weak public services to additional strains.

As reported by Workpermit.com on May 6, 2016, Japanese immigration is desperate to attract more foreign workers. Reports emerging from Japan indicate that the Japanese government is now planning to relax visa requirements for foreign ski instrcutors in a bid to revitalize the country's declining skiing industry.

Japan is desperate to attract more foreign workers, as it trys to cope with an ageing workforce population. Policymakers in Japan are 'exploring ways to bring in more workers from overseas without calling it immigration policy,' according to a report published by Reuters.

According to research published by Migration Watch – an organisation that lobbies for stricter UK immigration controls – benefits, employment levels and wages differ vastly across different migrant groups in the UK. The report has been criticised as being misleading.