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Excerpt
February 07, 2005
Clarke says immigrants will face skills test
By Philippe Naughton, Times Online
Low skilled workers from outside the European Union will no longer be able to settle in the UK under immigration restrictions unveiled today by Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary.
Under the new controls - announced in Parliament as the latest "five-year plan" from Labour - only skilled workers will be allowed to stay in Britain, as long as they speak English and pass a "Britishness test" in the same way as those applying for citizenship.
The waiting period to settle in the UK will also increase from four years to five. And an Australian-style points system will be developed making it easier for highly skilled immigrants to work in the country.
Employers caught using illegal workers will face a new £2,000 fixed penalty fine for each case. Specific categories of migrants - such as those from certain countries - will also be required to hand the British government a financial bond which they will forfeit if they fail to return home.
Mr Clarke said all foreigners applying for visas would be fingerprinted to stop them disappearing into the UK's black economy once their visas expire and electronic checks stepped up on those entering and leaving the country.
"This country needs migration. Tourists, students and migrant workers make a vital contribution to the UK economy," he told MPs. "But we need to ensure that we let in migrants with the skills and talents to benefit Britain, while stopping those trying to abuse our hospitality and place a burden on our society."
Controversially, Mr Clarke said he would stop giving successful asylum-seekers the right to stay in Britain permanently. Instead, refugees will only be given temporary leave to remain, which will last up to five years.
Under the proposals, there will be renewed attempts to step up the number of failed asylum seekers who are deported. Mr Clarke said that by the end of this year the number of people being removed each month will exceed the number of unfounded asylum claims.
People who have settled in the country will have to wait five years before they can sponsor further family members to come to Britain in a bid to end "chain migration". Under the new points system, there will be four tiers of immigrants, divided by their qualifications, work experience, income and other factors.
Highly skilled migrants will fall into Tier One, including doctors, engineers, IT specialists and finance experts - who will be the only group able to come to Britain without a job offer. Skilled workers in Tier Two will have NVQ level 3 or A-Level equivalent qualifications, such as nurses, teachers and administrators. Employers will be able to sponsor their application, but being accepted for a job will not necessarily guarantee entry to the UK.
Tier Three covers low-skilled workers, who will be granted entry to Britain to fill specific job vacancies for fixed periods, with guarantees that they will leave at the end of their stay. Tier Four covers students and special sectors such as footballers and employees of international companies based in the UK.
Applicants under Tiers Three and Four will only be allowed entry if their home country has a formal agreement with Britain to accept their return if they later abuse the system.
Mr Clarke said: "We will introduce a simpler, clearer, more effective scheme for those wishing to come and work here, focusing on the highly skilled migrants that can help us build our economy."
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