Weekly Immigration News Bulletin 17th – 23rd March 2018

A selection of the most important immigration news of the week

MPs back refugee family reunification bill | The Guardian | 16.3.18

Currently refugees do not have the right to be reunited with their family in the UK. However, a new bill supported by ministers would allow the closest relatives of a family to join them in this country, regardless of whether they are seeking asylum or not. The immigration minister claims that the government will block the bill. A big concern is the potential danger to the family members with an incentive to risk their lives in treacherous journeys, trying to reaching the UK. Read the full article…

Labour calls for young illegal immigrants to be allowed to stay in UK permanently and scrapping of migrants cap | The Sun | 21.3.18

Diane Abbott reveals Labour’s ambitious plans to allow ‘carers or parents’ of refugees to come to the UK, which as mentioned in the article above, the Tories opposed in fear of more lives being put at risk. Highlighting the party’s commitment to human rights, Ms Abbott also said that they will stop deporting children, on turning 18, who do not have permission to live in the UK. Read the full article…

Brexit talks: Ministers must not cave in on immigration, campaign group says | Daily Mail | 19.3.18

Migration Watch UK, a group campaigning to limit migration, has said that the government must not soften and allow more immigration in any Brexit negotiations. The group criticises the government for already ‘caving’ on rights for those arriving in the transition period, claiming that it undermines the 17 million people who voted for Brexit. The views of the group are in opposition to Diane Abbott’s liberal attitude of ridding of the target of getting net migration below 10,000. The article, read with the Sun’s article about Labour’s plans, underlines the complexity of Brexit and the difficulties faced in negotiating the terms. Read the full article…

Home Office overturns refusal of visa for NHS doctor’s daughter | The Guardian | 21.3.18

Once again the Home Office has come under fire, rejecting the visa application of a 3 year-old Egyptian girl, whose mother is now working in the NHS. The Home Office has since overturned this decision, not without causing both the parents and the girl to suffer. Amany Abdelmeguid expressed concerns that the process had caused her daughter serious psychological damage. This case demonstrates the troubles many health and social work staff face in bringing their children over to the UK. It showcases the poor and insensitive way in which the Home Office have dealt with such people. Read the full article…

Climate change could force more than 140 million people from their homes by 2050, major new report finds | The Independent | 19.3.18

Analysts indicate that there is a looming crisis of millions of people forced to become ‘climate refugees’, due to rising sea-levels and water scarcity. The studies suggest that these people will move within their countries’ borders to safer areas, but there’s nothing to say they won’t attempt to move further afield. What is more, this article cites a study which claimed that global warming could cause asylum applications to the EU to nearly triple. Read the full article…

Number of asylum applications to EU nearly halves in 2017 | Financial Times | 20.3.18

This brief article gives some interesting statistics regarding the significant decline in the number of those seeking asylum in the EU. However nearly one million applications were still pending in 2017. Read the full article…