U.K. to Review and Tighten Requirements for Citizenship

Source: Wall Street Journal

AUGUST 3, 2009

LONDON -- The U.K. government is planning to review its immigration policies, in a move likely to make it more difficult for foreigners to become British citizens.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson plans to announce as early as Monday new proposals under which foreigners would have to score a certain number of points to become British citizens -- a requirement already in place for people entering the country to work or study.

This would extend a system, modeled after one in use in Australia and introduced last year, that grades workers and students hoping to enter the U.K. on criteria including education, age and need for their skills. The changes were aimed at making it easier to slow the flow of foreigners looking for work in the U.K. when the economy weakens.

Further details of the new proposals weren't immediately available, but a Home Office spokeswoman said their aim would be to "provide flexibility for the government to respond to the changing economic needs of the country."


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and it's made my life a living hell if I want to stay on a permanent basis.

that either Britain's catering industry or its powerful banking sector cannot fill jobs through local hires.

Back in the old days we welcomed the huge 1950's influx from the West Indies using assisted passage, about US$3 , to get here by ship. That was at a time when we needed nurses for our NHS and staff for London Transport whatever. Times have chnaged and we have other needs now.

Aside from that New / Screw Labour derive much support from our trade unions but there are signs of that wilting due to Labour breaking their promise of British jobs for British people.

It is cheaper however to import Indians.

What large companies like BT do is bring people in on intra-company transfers, keep them here for less than a year and then ship them back.

Its a loophole in the immigration laws that allows them to use cheap (IT roles that earn 30k a year will be filled by Indians for around 5k) labour, without causing "immigration"

Its causing many job losses in my sector.