Immigration news

An MP says that a future Conservative government of the UK should offer an amnesty to the estimated 570,000 illegal immigrants in the country and grant them all indefinite leave to remain. Nadhim Zahawi, himself an immigrant, says that this move would be likely to gain the Conservative party votes among ethnic minority voters.

Mr Zahawi, who came to the UK from Iraq as a child, raised the idea of an amnesty in an essay he wrote for a right wing think tank. In it, he said that the Conservatives would have to be brave and 'think outside the box' in order to attract more support among minority communities.

One of the UK's most senior civil servants, Mark Sedwill, gave evidence to an influential committee of MPs this month about the future of the UK's immigration services. Mr Sedwill told the Home Affairs Committee that the Home Office faces a cut in its budget and that immigration staff would as a result be made redundant. The cuts will be made in 2015.

India and Nigeria have reacted angrily to the announcement by the UK's Home Secretary Theresa May that the UK intends to introduce 'security bonds' for some visitors in an attempt to ensure visa holders leave the UK when their visas expire. Nigeria has said that the move is likely to prevent a bilateral trade deal between the UK and the African country. India has warned that there may be implications for trade.

An Australian television station has broadcast allegations that one of the world's largest outsourcing companies, Tata Consulting Services (TCS), routinely abused Australia's temporary work visa system by employing Indian workers in roles where there was no shortage of native Australian workers.

A poll of international students carried out on behalf of a UK trades union has found that over half of foreign students questioned said that 'the government's immigration cap makes them feel less welcome in the UK'.

The poll was carried out for the University and College Union (UCU), a trades union for university and college lecturers. 510 students from 105 UK higher education institutions were questioned.

The UK does not have an overall immigration cap. There is, however, an annual cap of 22,700 on the number of Tier 2 (General) visas that can be issued to skilled workers.

Continuing industrial action by the Canadian Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) is causing increasingly long waits for Canadian visa applicants who apply abroad. Particularly affected are applicants under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) as well as students and tourists.

Industry bodies for the Canadian tourism and education industries say that, if the strike is not resolved, visitors and students are likely to consider going elsewhere. Canada has been attracting increasing numbers of Chinese and Mexican visitors in recent years.